LSHA & Shands at Lake Shore ignore ADA
Physically challenged are 2nd class
Columbia County, FL (posted
January 19,
2010)
by Al Cimaglia
The beautiful Judy Cimaglia never has an easy day.
Experiencing the LSHA/Shands campus in Lake City would
not lighten her load.
It is my understanding from reading both the Lake
City Reporter and the Columbia County Observer that the
Lake Shore Hospital Authority is floating on a sea of
cash and has money to build medical offices for doctors
that don't need money. I concluded from reading the
articles and looking at the photos in the Observer that
the Lake Shore Hospital Authority and the Shands at Lake
Shore campus are not friendly to the physically
challenged. Indeed, it appears that both the LSHA and
Shands have gone out of their way to be unfriendly to
those less fortunate than themselves.
I have been bound to a wheel chair my whole life and
I can assure you that to me and my wife, who can now
only get around in a wheel chair that ten feet can be
like a mile. Unfortunately, it appears that the local
agency that is responsible for seeing that the
requirements of the ADA are followed, the city of Lake
City, has dropped the ball and has for years been
turning a blind eye on this whole situation.
Although you may have complied in a limited way with
the law, it is the intent of the law that matters the
most. It is one thing to be able to come in out of the
rain, but it’s another to be able to get to your
destination.
Let’s suppose a physically challenged person has
business in a building separate from the Shands
Hospital. How would he or she get there? From the
photos, it appears the street is the only avenue.
In this modern day and age the lack of curb cuts has
just about disappeared. Why is the LSHA campus missing
curb cuts and sidewalks? Why are the wheel chair bound
and the blind forced into the streets? Do you think that
they do not feel fear?
Believe me when I tell you that I have experienced
these situations throughout my lifetime. It is no
picnic.
Being stuck in a hallway without access to an office
is the worst and most degrading situation of all. Not
having a space for a wheel chair in a waiting room puts
one on display like a monkey in a cage. I compare it to
being forced to ride in the back of the bus. You may as
well post a notice that reads, "Physically Challenged
need not feel welcome!"
In 1865, President Lincoln put forth the emancipation
proclamation and for the next one hundred years the
people it was supposed to help remained 2nd class
citizens. Why are you letting the Americans with
Disabilities Act linger on in the same manner? It’s a
shame when a taxpayer supported hospital authority and a
non profit hospital need to be educated about this.
Until someone tries to recreate the master race
again, the physically challenged community is here to
stay. Look around your offices and at your families. At
any time someone there could become disabled. Wouldn’t
it be nice to have things in place to assist that person
at the LSHA – Shands at Lake Shore campus in Lake City?
Years ago we moved into the 21st century. The
dark ages are supposed to be well behind us. In many
communities they are. Always bear in mind that the
expense of doing the right thing tomorrow will be far
greater than the cost of doing it today.
Somewhere it should be written: Every new building
that rises, every existing edifice, is a monument to
mankind, in as much as it reflects the attitude, beliefs
and standards of its time and the people in the
community."
Florida calls itself the Sunshine State. Maybe one
day the sun will shine on the physically challenged in
Lake City at the LSHA/Shands at Lake Shore campus. That
would be nice.