[at-l] Wow! My original intro and ADA

[Max Rice <mrice@earthlink.net>]

Everyone,

OK ... so I started this whole thing about ADA, right? You know the
original post about can I make it along the trail in a wheelchair. Well,
the whole thing really started to snowball. I got some posts of
encouragement and a post of two about it being impossible and then the
whole thing about ADA began to flow along with the obviously powerful
reactions. So let's set the record straight.

First, in no place did I ask for or act as though special accommodations
should be made for handicapped access. The assumption that if a
handicapped person wants to use the Trail then they must want special
treatment is not only flawed it is ignorant. I understand, given the
current political environment and the way that the ADA has been
distorted, why people may jump to that conclusion but it was not the
case here. I believe in a narrow definition of the ADA that simply
allows me to conduct the necessary parts of my life.

Second, as far as the physical hiking trail is concerned I do not
believe that any accommodations should be made. The trail means many
things to many people, but high on the list for most would be to keep
the trail as wild as possible. Adding handrails along the path ,
blacktop,easing the grade in places and similar accommodating features
would make this less so.  I actually believe that too much has already
been done on the trail for the convenience of non-handicapped hikers,
but that is another issue. My point is that the wilderness aspect of the
Trail is the thing that I want my grandchildren to see and if that means
that I cannot see parts of the Trail then so be it.  Furthermore, the
reality is that accommodating the Trail would be incredibly expensive
and those dollars could be much better used to acquire more land and
preserve the existing Trail.

Third, the only exception I take to any of the existing regulations is
if my wheelchair is not allowed on the Trail. If I can only go 1/2 mile
then that is my problem, but if I am not permitted to even try then I
would challenge that.  BTW, I am speaking of a manual wheelchair.

The whole point of the introduction was just that .. an introduction.
There is no hidden agenda here. I do not know a lot about the politics
of the Trail, but I assume that this is an issue that has reared its
head before and many feel threatened by it and for good reason. I
understand and consider some of the reactions in that context.

Why did I ask the question about making the trek in a wheelchair?   Well
... the trip was conceived as a way to teach my two sons a lesson about
life .. about how despite what may happen to us, we are still
responsible for what we do with whatever has happened and our limits are
primarily in our minds. They will be old enough to carry their full
share of the gear in a couple of years and help me along difficult parts
of the Trail. It would take us about a year and I would do a Trail
equivalent of home schooling.  There are a thousand and one obstacles to
such an adventure and I joined the list to identify them.

Anyway ... I'm just another guy that has a dream about hiking the Trail.

Thanks for all the responses.

Max






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