What is the problem?

There is a national law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities for employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government programs and services. However, this law is violated daily by individuals and institutions, both in factual, concrete ways and in discriminatory actions of people. For the physically disabled, barriers can range from blocked wheelchair ramps, to buildings without lifts, to inaccessible toilets, to shops without step-free access. Many multi-floor buildings throughout the United States, like ours at Fontbonne, do not have elevators. The physically disabled cannot reasonably access our second floor nor our art room. While there has been much progress in working towards equality for disabled people in the U.S., there is still much room for improvement in accessibility for them and treatment of them.