Attention Step
Attention Device:
How many people in this room have ever been to a concert? How many of you brought a friend or went with a group of people? Imagine how you would feel if you and your friends drove to the concert, collectively paid for parking, and when you presented your tickets at the door all of your friends were allowed entry, but you weren’t allowed in. You’d complain, right? Of course you would. Now, imagine that the manager offered to let you stand outside the gate where you could hear the music, but not see the band. Your experience of the concert wouldn’t be as much fun as your friends who got to enjoy the concert together. You wouldn’t be as excited if you couldn’t see the band perform or the sing along with the crowd. For some disabled Americans, everyday is like listening to a concert outside the arena.
Thesis: Disabled people are not fully integrated into our society. We are discriminating against those with special needs by not providing adequate handicap accessibility.
Preview of Main Points:
We will explore the unnecessary challenges of differently abled Americans in today's society and strive to make a change.
Transition: Those living with disabilities are severely miss treated.
The Need
(I)Differently abled people are constantly put on the fringe of society we do the bare minimum to meet the requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act. (a) It starts with parking, the ADA requires one handicap parking space per twenty five other spots. (a2) Nineteen percent of the population is living with a disability. Out of 100 parking spaces, by law only 4 need to be handicap accessible. In reality this means that only 4 of the 19 differently abled people have access to that establishment. (B) If you are lucky enough to get a handicap space, you then have to battle entry to the store. With ramps onto the sidewalk at inconvenient locations (often in the road or on the other side of the building) and automatic door open buttons to far from the door or most often out of order, consumers are deliberately excluding a percentage of the population.
(C)Once inside circumstances are not much better for those with disabilities. Often times clothing racks or store displays are placed too close together. This makes maneuvering through aisles difficult and frequently requires those with disabilities, who are still able to be independent, to ask for help . (D)If you are dining out, handicap seating is nonexistent. Most restraunts offer to remove a chair from the end of the table or simply expect those with disabilities to sit in the walk way next to the table. This is ostracizing them from participating with the remainder of the group. (E)Another common problem is restrooms. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that all restrooms must be usable by people with disabilities. This provides larger stalls, handrails, and specific height requirements. However this does not mandate entry into the restrooms. Without automatic doors and awkward entry locations it can be almost impossible for a disabled person to use the restroom without needing assistance. Relying on others to help you get into the restroom hardly seems functional.
Visualization Step
Power point - Graph of percent of disabled people, Photo of narrow walk ways, Photo of auto door buttons ridiculously far from door.
Satisfaction Step- opposition
It does not seem like to much to ask for everyone to be treated with equality. (II)However some people believe that the ADA laws are inconvenient. (A)Consumers believe that they cannot be everything to everyone. Since those with disabilities only make up a small segment of society, businesses can't be expected to cater to them and still maintain profitability. (B) Although disabled
