Disabling America: The Unintended Consequences of the Government's Protection of the Handicapped

by Greg Perry

Book Overview

Despite what many politicians would like you to believe, the Americans with Disabilities Act is a travesty of government regulation--it actually harms businesses, taxpayers, and, ironically, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0785262253
• ISBN13: 9780785262251
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

The ADA's danger is serious

At first I figured this would be a book touting the problems with socialism. Well, it is, and it reveals the socialism/communistic connections interwoven in today's Americans with Disabilities Act, but Perry goes much further. To a place that will make you uncomfortable even though the book is extremely humorous - he will show you that the ADA is not only costing you a fortune but it endangers you beyond belief. Although he doesn't rely on anedotal evidence, and although he makes extremely well-crafted arguments, he shows example after example of abuse of the ADA that can cost your children their very lives. For example, how comfortable will you be the next time your kids go swimming when you know that the ADA requires Deaf Lifeguards to be hired when they apply? It doesn't matter that some little girl might be drowing and he grandmother screams for help and the eaf lifeguard doesn't hear the screams - NO, life and death are issues that take back seats to the income that the ADA advocates and lawyers make.

Why Aren't We Told These Things Elsewhere?

Even John Stossel doesn't seem to care about telling us the dangers of the Disabilities Act. Only Greg Perry, this book's author, does this... and he does a FINE job. I've heard him speak on CSpan before. he is eloquent and the reason the other side has vicious hatred toward him is because: 1. They don't like a handicapped man telling the truth about how the ADA harms both the handicapped AND normal people. 2. They love censorship. 3. Their incomes are at stake. If you want to harm the handicapped, then go to Washington and lobby to stregthen the ADA! Greg Perry presents his arguments in a systematic fashion. And the other reason ADA-advocates (attorneys, psychologists, and government workers) show such hatred towards this handicapped author is because he shows others - using a LOT of humor - how to destroy every pro-ADA argument they throw at us. I am SO glad that I learned about this. I used to think the ADA was harmless. What I didn't know DID hurt me.

The Handicapped are SO Greatly Harmed by the ADA

As Perry points out so clearly, the hanidcapped in America would be better off morally and financially without the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Why do we continue to put up with this? Karl Marx would have been so proud if he had designed the ADA. It keeps the handicapped in "their place" and really makes the people who profit off the backs they break under the ADA wealthy and they feel good that they've done something even though the outcome is disastrous for the people they say they want to help.

The ADA Harms the Disabled

Once the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, business began seeing the disabled as potential lawsuits. Greg Perry explains why in Disabling America.Perry stresses that if he wanted to harm the handicapped, the first thing he would do is go to Washington and fight to strengthen the ADA.**Here is the primary reason that Disabling America reveals the problems with the government's (and ADA activists' and pundits') coerced government attempt to legislate compassion: Perry teaches that he doesn't want to do business with someone who doesn't want to do business with him. If Store A wants to make itself accessible for Perry's business, Perry wants to do business with Store A. But if Store B doesn't want to become accessible, for whatever reason, Perry sees little reason to want to patronize that Store B. BUT when the government puts a gun to a store owner's head and says YOU WILL spend up to $100,000 to change every fixture, door width, aisle width, faucet, driveway, counter, etc., the truly handicapped are immediately viewed as coercion machines used by the government to force these costly and sometimes bankrupting changes.Would any handicapped person with decency want to force their neighbor to spend $20,000 to make their house accessible so that handicapped person could visit? (If you listen to ADA supporters, you might begin to wonder...) Yet, forcing our neighbors to spend many dollars to change their business doesn't seem to pose a moral problem for ADA activists. It's a shame because they care more about supporting the ADA law itself than helping to promote true respect and compassion for the handicapped.The handicapped are not victims. They are to be admired for overcoming adversity.

An eye opening book

I knew very little about the ADA prior to reading this book. I can honestly say that my eyes are now open to another example of ridiculous government policy that doesn't help anyone, especially the handicapped.Perhaps the most shocking parts of the entire book, are the endless places in which people who are NOT handicapped or disabled sue a business for not being ADA friendly and THEY WIN!For example, the author shares a story about a small business owner in Texas who found out one of his employees, who was cooking in the business' kitchen, recently tested HIV positive. Instead of firing the employee, the businessman wanted to give the man another job in the business that would take him out of the kitchen, but would pay him more and ensure that his customers would not be exposed to the virus. Well, not only did the employee refuse the newer, higher-paying job, he went out and found a lawyer that was prepaired to take the businessman to court for violating the cook's rights under the Americans with Disablities Act. Customers found out about it and quit eating at this restaurant. The businessman couldn't afford to defend himself in court. So, his business folded.Is that fair? Certainly not. In fact, I would hope that every restaurant owner would be concerned about the quality of the food they were feeding me, even if it's a simple as the common cold or bacteria in the kitchen sink. And, secondly, since when is being HIV positive a disability? Does that mean that people with cancer are disabled? No. This case is clearly an example of someone taking advantage of the system. And, I agree with the author, you and I are paying for these types of ridiculous lawsuits every day.The author goes on to describe the ways the ADA affects the schools our children attend, the websites we visit, the movies we watch, and even our very homes.Greg Perry is qualified to write this kind of book. He is handicapped. He was born with only three fingers and one leg. If anyone knows what it's like to live in a world that is supposedly ADA compliant, it's him.I encourage you to read Disabling America. It's an eye opening book.