A Florida attorney says that he is on a crusade for people with disabilities. Since 2018, about 750 lawsuits have been filed against Texas businesses under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Douglas Shapiro has filed about half of those lawsuits.
Shapiro and his group of activists have recently been targeting businesses in the Fort Worth area. One business was sued because the doors to the bathrooms are 30 inches wide instead of the 32 inches Shapiro deems appropriate. The business owner says that it will cost about $7,000 to make the changes.
Though Shapiro is in Florida, his activists visit local businesses and take photos. Shapiro then files federal lawsuits against any offenders. The lawyer typically gets $4,500 for a settlement and he pays $300 to his activists. And the defendant has to pay for the modifications to his building.
It is understandable that individuals with disabilities might have different accommodation needs than an able bodied person. But one person’s needs is not a claim to the life and property of others. An able bodied person has no moral right to force others to accommodate his needs. Nor does a disabled individual.
If a business owner chooses to make accommodations for the disabled, he should be free to do so. But if he chooses otherwise, he should also be free to act on that choice. Consumers choose to patronize those businesses that satisfy their needs, whether it is price, convenience, quality, service, or some other factor. If a business does not accommodate the needs of the disabled, he likely won’t have many disabled customers, just like a Christian book store isn’t likely to get many atheist customers.
The ADA removes freedom of choice from business owners. It shackles owners to the needs and demands of others. In the name of protecting the rights of the disabled, the rights of the able are destroyed.