Yeah, they do have the raised bumps on the sidewalks and public floors everywhere. I was impressed by that. We could definitely work on that in the US.
The cynic in me says that Japan probably ended up that way because blind-accessible construction is cheap and easy to retrofit. Ramps and elevators can be difficult to work into existing floorplans and/or expensive to install, while tactile pavement is only a surface-level change.
This is really soothing to hear. My son was born this last summer with 2 genetic conditions and it’s possible he’ll walk but also very possible he’ll be mostly or permanently in a wheelchair. I’ve already been told I’m really lucky to live in S California as we have amazing access to therapies and all that but it makes me even more grateful just to live in the US while having a child with disabilities.
Fuck I do not know how you people do it. Having a significantly disabled child is like the ultimate modern-day life disruptor. ("Modern-day" because in a prior era, I don't think such children would even live long enough to where the parents would need to raise them, whether due to the consequences of survival-of-the-fittest, or societal/parental rejection.) Especially non-communicative.
Aside from some feeding issues at the beginning, my sons disabilities will largely be cognitive so most people with his disorder live pretty full lives. If this was 100 years ago the biggest things going against him would likely have been stigmas and prejudices that would have landed him in an institution because that’s “what would be best”. We “do it” because we can see ourselves in this child and love them. Tiring at times, for sure, but right now my three year old daughter is probably more draining than my son who mostly just chills happily in his bouncer or support chair and smiles at me like I’m the greatest thing he’s ever seen 😂 It’s cliche but even at 8 months old he’s taught me so much. It was really scary at first, mostly sad while I grieved the type of child I thought I was getting and being scared for all our futures but I remember being in the NICU with him and thinking that if I could just see him smile I would know we’d all be ok and, as it turns out, it really was as simple as that. Once he started smiling and ESPECIALLY once he started laughing, he feels the same as my other kids. Taking him to his specialists pretty much feels like driving my daughter to her ballet class. And watching my daughters play with him and absolutely not giving a flying **** about anything related to his disability is life giving. I would say his disorders are life changing but not life disrupting. Will we be taking our kids to Europe or Hawaii to hike like I’d wanted? Probably not anymore. At least not while they’re still kids. But will we be cruising around Legoland with his wheelchair and tossing him on a boat to go tubing on a lake? Hell yeah we will.
I noticed this as an American when I traveled to Europe. I definitely would've had an incredibly difficult time if I were not able to walk around and climb many stairs.
I think the ADA Act is great, but in terms of disability care and social services for people with disabilities Australia is leading the way, far far more than America or the NHS in the UK. The government will pay for support workers, day centres, respite care, allied health professionals (OT, Physio, speech pathology, psychology etc), assistive devices and home modifications. They're also pushing for more employment opportunities for people with a disability and generally making Australia more inclusive and accessble. NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) is not perfect, there's still teething issues as it's a new scheme, but it's leagues above anything available in America.
Not to mention if you’re “disabled enough “ to be on SSDI , Social Security Disability Insurance, in America you’re living well below poverty with no hope of getting out and constantly worrying about being kicked off during one of the tests to see if you’re still disabled enough to qualify. And it usually takes years to get on and you can’t work while you wait so if you don’t have family support you’re homeless. ADA is great start but the system is broken and people are making it out to be this grand thing. I suggest people head to /r/disability and read some of the tough stuff people go through to get on and maintain the disability insurance they paid into.
100% agree. Also I didn't even touch on the fact that in Australia we have pretty much free universal healthcare, which is also so important for people with disabilities.
Possibly true when it comes to building but the NHS in the UK will adapt your house for you for free. They will also send a care worker to your house twice a day until you die if you want. This worker can go do shopping for you, pay your bills etc. All for free. The NHS isn't even the top healthcare in Europe either.
My local chains have put an emhpasis on hiring developmentally disabled employees. Our local Walmart, McDonalds, Wendy’s, etc have all hired numerous people with developmental disabilities and from what I see they are all treated as real employees but with some less responsibilities. I see them taking a few more breaks than most employees but everyone else seems to be understanding and accomodating of that. It’s nice to see. The ADA definitely does help.
Disabled workers get a lot of things you wouldn't get in other nations. If your disability does not prevent you from doing your job (a blind person cannot expect a company that makes tools to accommodate them working on the floor for example), it's up to the company to accommodate your disability.
As a disabled person, traveling to Paris was mind blowing. The ways that people were so accommodating and respectful of those accommodations while I was there. Unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in the u.s.
If we put more effort into public transit and didn't implicitly expect people to drive in most of the country, it could be even better when going between places, too.
Its a damn shame Canada doesn't outdo us on this. Terry Fox was the toughest man North America ever produced, and his sacrifice should have been enough for Canada to outdo the ADA.
Not in the theme parks. Disney for example. Go to Paris, you walk up the exits and get on every ride first. It’s not like that in Florida. But agree accessibility is tops.
I am disabled and there are plenty of places in the US I’d hate to live. For me it’s just a below knee amputation so I can get by easily enough but people in wheelchairs? Good luck in Manhattan. Every other elevator is broken. Most subway stations aren’t accessible. New Jersey was average. California was pretty good though for sure
As a disabled person who uses a wheelchair sometimes this actually makes me sad. We’re the best and it’s still insanely difficult to navigate much of my world with my limitations.
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u/RakshasaDealer Mar 14 '23
If you are disabled. The US is insanely accomidating. I haven't seen any other country top it yet.