May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will leave the world a little better for your having been here. -- Ronald Reagan

Sunday, July 1, 2012

On the Incline of Slopes on Miniature Golf Courses


Bet you didn't know miniature horses are guide animals. In addition to the oppressive ObamaTax aka ObamaCare that controls every aspect of our lives, there's some new regulations, through the “Revised ADA Standards for Accessible Design" of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). There was initially a big kerfuffle about allowing wheelchair\disabled access to swimming pools at hotels. It was so cost prohibitive and time consuming to change accesses, that thousands of hotels would have had to close their pools, so the Justice Department granted an extension.

Another part of this misbegotten law, and I'm beginning to think all new laws are misbegotten, in addition to revamping to allow horses and swimming pool access to folks that probably don't swim all the much, is the incline of miniature golf slopes. Truly.  Fifty percent of miniature golf holes must be accessible by providing a ground space “48 inches minimum by 60 inches minimum with slopes not steeper than 1:48 at the start of play.” Huh?

Want more? There has to be "turning space" in saunas. Gun\firing ranges must allow for turning space and all variety of positions a disabled person may need. Golf courses must ensure “an accessible route to connect all accessible elements within the boundary must also “connect golf car rental areas, bag drop areas, teeing grounds, putting greens, and weather shelters". How many wheelchair bound people with service animals are playing golf? Gyms with workout equipment must be modified so at least one of each machine is wheelchair accessible. Rides at amusement parks have to have at least one seat each be wheelchair accessible.

The knuckleheads at Justice see this as a civil rights issue. What? That certainly diminishes the importance of true civil rights issues.

I'm sad that people have to suffer so with their disabilities. It breaks my heart. Driving up costs for millions of people and thousands of businesses for a few that probably never use such facilities, is just stupid.


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