T I P S & TRENDS

The President's Committee on
Employment of People
With Disabilities

|Vol. 1 No.4 April 1989

[Headline] Administration Granted Rehearing of Transit Access Decision

On April 10, 1989, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requested a rehearing of a court decision that would make many transit systems more accessible to people who use wheelchairs. DOT requested all eleven judges of the U.S Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to rehear the February 13 ADAPT (American Disabled for Accessible Public Transit ) vs. DOT decision (see March Tips & Trends) which ordered DOT to cease subsidizing buses purchased by transit systems unless they are equipped with wheelchair lifts.

On April 19, 1989, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the February 13 decision and granted a rehearing to DOT. The unusual decision to grant a rehearing may indicate that the February 13 decision will be reversed.

[Subheading] Decision Angers Protesters

Also on April 10, disability advocates and members of ADAPT were protesting for accessible public transportation during a regional meeting of the American Public Transit Association (APTA) at the Nugget Casino in Reno, NV. Protesters were disappointed by the announcement that the Federal government had asked for a rehearing of the ADAPT vs. DOT decision. Three people with severe disabilities were injured, 49 protesters were arrested and many were jailed.

Untrained ranch hands from the surrounding area assisted the under-staffed Reno police department with the arrests, and threatened to take seeing eye dogs from blind protesters if they did not disperse. Wheelchair users were dragged from their seats by the local police and deputies, who broke a leg of one severely disabled protester.

Wade Blank, spokesperson for ADAPT, commented from Reno: "This means the protests must continue, all the way to the White House if need be.”

Article is accompanied by a picture of a handwritten letter from a very young child. The letter reads:

Dear Pres. Bush, Please stop the appeal so my sister can ride the bus with me. I love you. Kailee (5 yrs. old)

Created on

Friday 12 July 2013

Posted on

Thursday 1 October 2015

Tags

3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals, appeal, APTA, arrested, broken leg, DOT, jail, Kailee, PCEPD - President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, President George HW Bush, service animal, Wade Blank, wheelchairs

Albums

• Victory in the Courts, Spring & Summer 1989

Visits

2216

Rating score

no rate

Rate this photo