[eazyduzzit]

Originally Posted by Reaper

So, basically you're saying "we've done enough to try and accomodate people with disabilities so they should just accept that we, as a society, don't care if they feel left behind, marginalized or disallowed their dignity." Yeah, they should just suck it up, eh?

What i'm saying is every place cannot accomodate, no.

If 6 places out of 10 do, then thats a win, you should not expect 10/10.

Originally Posted by Burninator

Couldn't disagree more. The building code isn't just "safety codes". In some ways it gives pratically to buildings. If store owners wanted to build however they wanted, buildings would be terrible. Things like exits, bathrooms, stairs would small as possible to allow more space for leasing. You have to have guide lines for these things otherwise buildings won't work. What Wal-Mart and the Joe-Smoes store have in common is that both buildings that are open to the public. I don't see why bank account size should change this.

I think exits fall under Saftey

Forget i even brought up the profitability of small businesses, this was not the focal point of my argument.

I just feel as though a private business should be able to conduct things how they want to, with exception to saftey guidlines because this is a given. Larger corporations which are publically owned through shares etc have more of an obligation to cater to everyone than a private business which is familly owned.

Originally Posted by Burninator

Why not? I have yet to see a resonable argument for why this is not feasable for a store owner. You have to design a building with a fire exit why can't you design a building with a wider corrider or a larger bathroom. This hardly effects cost as it is a given in the design stage.

Your talking in the sense that all businesses that open are opened from square one. I think the majority of those open are done so in already build property. Some cannot afford a ton of square footage so they have to deal with what they have, hence not being able to make the aisles as wide as they would have liked due to not being enough room for all of their products. As an avarage "Joe" i feel as though i have an obligation to provide my customers with saftey (hence following the Saftey Guidelines) but when it comes right down to the nitty gritty, if there isn't room for your wheel-chair, sorry, move along to the next store. I just don't think it's reasonable for cater to all special needs in every store.

As for wider aisles and bigger bathrooms not affecting the cost of building, i wouldn't be so sure. Square footage in this city is a pricey business and you may brush off a double sized bathroom and wider aisles in lets say a 10 aisle store as not affecting the cost but it certainly does.

Originally Posted by Burninator

Could you imagine if you couldn't go into half the stores because average joe store owner is too much of a tight-wad to put in barrier free measures? That would be horrible.

Live with it.

You have a disability, we will do our best to accomodate you with laws/regulations within reason but going completely all out just dosen't make sense.

How about someoen replys to this:

I just don't think it's reasonable to hold small time operations up to the same standards as corportations such as Wal-mart it just is not reasonable. (saftey guidelines aside).

Basically the best example i can come up with was when i was in San Francisco. Lots of small businesses are operated there and when i went on a boat tour of the bay and around Alcatraz island. There was a disabled lady who was confined to a wheelchair and the boat that was taking about 15 of us on the tour said they did not have the facilities to accomodate the wheelchair but the captain gave the family a name of a company which did (which was on the next piere over) and instead of going off in a huff expecting everything to be catered to their needs, they accepted the fact everything on every corner can't cater to them and where very polite in thanking the captain for the information for someone who could.

Basically the moral of the story is, if you can't buy goods from one store, count your losses, move on and find one which can everything can't suit you.

This is basically how i feel, i have nothing against disabled people, and you can probably see me helping the odd old lady accross the street, i just feel it's not reasonable to expect these tough guidelines on everything.

What i find ridiculous is people are insinuating i'm a bad person because i have a little reason, dropping the hint i hate old ladies and scuff at disabled people.