Another sensible law drawn up by clueless townies!

[InsaneApache]

Although I live in a city of 1/2 million souls, I can see green fields and moors in every direction. I've commented before on the beautiful countryside in these here parts. The best in England IMO. I love to walk the hills and dales, even in autumn, they are breathtaking at this time of the year.

Then I read this....

Stiles and kissing gates are the latest aspects of country life to fall victim to political correctness.

They have been a familiar feature of the landscape for centuries, but local authorities now believe that installing them along footpaths and rights of way is a breach of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

This law requires public services to make “reasonable adjustments” to allow disabled access.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle2971547.ece

I loved this comment.

I'd like to see somone in a wheelchair get up (or down) Jacobs Ladder!

So would I, it's blinking hard enough to get up if your very fit.

Seriously though in over a 1/4 of a century walking in the Dales I've yet to come across any disabled folks up there.

I've no problem with having disabled access implemented in the cities and town, hell I had my last two shops install a ramp, but this is just plain crazy.

Another facet of the Law of Unintended Consequences methinks.

[ICantSpellDawg]

Harrison Bergeron

[InsaneApache]

Harrison Bergeron

Excellent.

[spmetla]

Let's hope political correctness never reaches that level.

[JR-]

Harrison Bergeron

excellent.

a farmer interviewed about this idiocy asked if he might in future be expected to hard-pave all paths that ran across his fields in case the wheelchair-bound suffered unfairly reduced mobility when the field was muddy.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Well I'm sorry, but the crippled and feeble just aren't cut out for walking across the countryside.

Now, we can accept that as simply part of nature or we can pave an asphalt path with a slight grade to the top of every hillock or famous mountain.

CR

[Husar]

Rubbish, they need elevators.

[Tribesman]

Oh well The Times has gone all Sun on this one what a surprise .

“reasonable adjustments”

what a non-story .

[English assassin]

Oh well The Times has gone all Sun on this one what a surprise .

what a non-story .

Something tells me you have never had the pleasure of corresponding with the DRC on the subject of reasonable adjustments? Hint: they all seem to have a very specific disability which makes then unable to understand the word "reasonable".

You'd have more luck calling your todger Mohammed in a Sudanese court.

[Papewaio]

If they can get a wheelchair across a field a stile would be the least of their problems.

[Scurvy]

it couldn't be too difficult to put disabled access gates on the most frequently used + accessible paths and leave the rest well alone...

[KukriKhan]

We have a similar law here (Link to wiki article about ADA), although, as far as I know, most accomodations for wheelchairs, etc. get applied to new construction - less so for existing structures, areas, or programs.

Apparently though (according to the article), some lawsuits get filed to force accomodation for older stuff too, anytime any kind of upgrade is contemplated.

[Husar]

The solution:

[KukriKhan]

The solution:

LoL. Perfect. Add a laptop computer with wireless internet, loaded with a copy of the Disabilities Access Act (so he/she can file lawsuits 'on the fly' when he finds violations), and we're done!

[ZombieFriedNuts]

I would like to see a wheelchair get down some off the paths where I live, most of them aren’t even wide enough for a chair and they are so uneven that able bodied have a hard time getting down them.

[Kralizec]

The solution:

That's awesome, I almost wish I was disabled!

*knocks on wood*

[JAG]

Heaven forbid we try and make the lives of those not as able as us actually... er, whats the words - equal and of as much value as ours? No, we couldn't possibly, stick them in cages and lets go laugh.

Society eh, forever going in the wrong direction!

[InsaneApache]

Heaven forbid we try and make the lives of those not as able as us actually... er, whats the words - equal and of as much value as ours? No, we couldn't possibly, stick them in cages and lets go laugh.

Society eh, forever going in the wrong direction!

OK I'll bite.

I wonder how often you've walked up Airedale, Wharfedale etc etc? The clue is in the italic. A lot of 4x4s would find it impossible to get around these places, never mind the physically disabled.

Still, never let common sense get in the way of political diktat.

[Vladimir]

Society eh, forever going in the wrong direction!

Forward?

[Tribesman]

A lot of 4x4s would find it impossible to get around these places, never mind some of the physically disabled.

Fixed .

[InsaneApache]

Fixed .

Cheers.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Heaven forbid we try and make the lives of those not as able as us actually... er, whats the words - equal and of as much value as ours?

Just what does 'not as able as us' mean, JAG? I'm 'not as able' at playing basketball as a 7 foot tall guy. Does that mean I deserve a shorter hoop for my life to be of equal value?

How, exactly, do we make their lives of equal value by paving over nature so they can go there? Are the values of their lives determined by what they can do?

No, we couldn't possibly, stick them in cages and lets go laugh.

Wow, what an absurd exaggeration.

CR

[InsaneApache]

Just what does 'not as able as us' mean, tribesyJAG? I'm 'not as able' at playing basketball as a 7 foot tall guy. Does that mean I deserve a shorter hoop for my life to be of equal value?

How, exactly, do we make their lives of equal value by paving over nature so they can go there? Are the values of their lives determined by what they can do?


Wow, what an absurd exaggeration.

CR

Another fix.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Whoops. I guess I haven't debated JAG in a while.



CR

[Louis VI the Fat]

I have terrible eyesight. Minus six or thereabouts. I've got lenses, so it's no problem, but I can never become a pilot, or join the army, or God knows what else. People have their physical limitations. Sucks, but you have to accept them.

That doesn't mean that we should not have some consideration for the physically less fit in whatever respect.

Most of Britain isn't exactly the Alps or the New Guinea highlands. Just gently rolling hills with nice footpaths. Here you can see what we are really talking about. Lots of pictures.

For example:



These are paths that are easily traversable for most people, for all but the most severely physically handicapped, were it not for all those pesky obstacles. All it takes is some common sense and awareness to open up a great deal of England's countryside to a lot of people.

There are cultural, historical and aesthetical values to these whatever-they're-called obstacles that dot the gentle English countryside, but a socially fair and gentle landscape has even more value.

[InsaneApache]

For example;

http://www.nvmdigital.com/photos/thu...s/thumbyd.html

Southern Centric.

[Kralizec]

The stiles are there for their own protection. If a stile is an obstacle for you, traversing the English countryside would be hazardous for you anyway. Unless you have one of those Redneck Wheelchairs™

Seriously though, the parts of the English countryside that I've been through really aren't suitable for disabled people. I guess it would make sense for the flatter areas to have the stiles replaced with cattle grids, but that's about it.

[Crazed Rabbit]

All it takes is some common sense and awareness to open up a great deal of England's countryside to a lot of people.

I think the people who can actually navigate the paths but are stopped by such stiles, and the number of paths for which the stile is the only obstacle is small.

More importantly, the gates are set up by farmers and the like for the business of keeping cattle in and letting workers through. It's not an office building or a school.

Basically, though, the idea that the gov't should install paths in nature to make it easier for a small minority is ridiculous. It's ripping out the soul of nature and to let a few more gaze upon the shell.

CR

[Papewaio]

Heaven forbid we try and make the lives of those not as able as us actually... er, whats the words - equal and of as much value as ours? No, we couldn't possibly, stick them in cages and lets go laugh.

Society eh, forever going in the wrong direction!

If you are going to get rid of stiles to make things wheelchair friendly you are then going to have to concrete the fields so that the wheelchairs can use them. But before doing that you need to grade the hills to a rise of 1 in 8 so that they can easily roll up them. So in the end of the day you will an equality of gray planes that have a slight incline. But there will be no trees left because not everyone can climb them.

[Myrddraal]

Are the values of their lives determined by what they can do?

Neat point, and easy to forget.


EDIT:

Having said that, the enjoyment or satisfaction they can get from life is/might be determined by what they can do. It's that we compensate for. It's not like paying them to console them for their disability, but rather just trying to give them as many avenues of enjoyment as the rest of us take for granted.

I know everyone probably thinks I'm stating the obvious, but I'm just thinking aloud really.