Categories
FAQs

How Tall Are You?

Height requirement

Here’s another Frequently Asked Question addressed to little people. We’re typically willing to answer this simple question that doesn’t probe the psyche or demand intimate details. But the answer may trigger a fact check.

If you asked me today how tall I am, my answer would be 40 inches (1.02 meters or 102 cm). But anyone who read the first book in my memoir trilogy, Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses (1988), might remember my reported height as 42 inches (1.07 meters or 107 cm). So what’s with the discrepancy? It’s not a case of exaggeration; both are correct.

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In the 35 years between now and then, I lost two inches—height I can’t afford to lose by the way! Age is the culprit for this loss from increased curvature in my spine and shrinkage in the discs that cushion the vertebrae. In the 16 years between my marriage to Robert and his hip replacement surgery, he gained an inch (2.54 cm). I married him for richer or poorer, better or worse, but who knew it would be for shorter or taller?

Some people find it hard to believe someone could be so short. Take, for example, the night a Florida traffic cop pulled Robert over for speeding. Robert willingly turned over his driver’s license to the officer, but was puzzled when he shined his flashlight backwards and forwards between him and the license. Then the officer asked Robert, “how tall are you?” When he said, “three-feet-six,” the officer retorted, “that’s not what it says here.” And the officer was right. The license recorded Robert’s height as six-feet-three! Apparently, a driver’s license bureau clerk didn’t believe a driver could be three-feet-six and flipped the numbers.

A clerk at the New Zealand (NZ) Department of Internal Affairs (comparable to the United States State Department) had the same problem. I applied for a passport and showed my height as 1.08 meters. The clerk perceived an error and called to query the height. At first, I agreed there might be a mistake. (It was about the time of NZ’s conversion to metrics and I wasn’t confident my conversion was accurate.) She said, “1.08 meters means you are only three-feet-six inches tall?” I replied, “Oh yes, I did do it right.” She decided she had done it all wrong by questioning my calculation.

Height questions are legitimate when lining up for amusement park rides. In this case, minimum height requirements for riders are imposed for safety reasons. For example, you must be tall enough for the shoulder harness to securely lock you in place. If you’re too short you could be thrown right off the ride or fall out when it’s upside down. Or, in the case of Space Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom when safety standards weren’t enforced, I thought my head was going to fall off. My neck, my spine, and falling two inches short of the height requirement screamed out that this ride was hazardous to my health.

So this dwarfism awareness month, what’s your experience with height questions?

For more of my writings, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com where you can find retail links to my dwarfism memoir trilogy and subscribe to my weekly blog on dwarfism and disability guided by faith and justice.

Categories
Disability Rights

Is Dwarfism a Disability Under the ADAAA?

Reserved 4 disabled

Many little people don’t consider themselves “disabled,” because they are independent and productive citizens. In contrast, others assume their dwarfism automatically qualifies them as having a protected disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In either case, disability self-perception is not determinative. Rather, it’s a case of whether the individual meets the disability criteria defined in this landmark civil rights legislation.

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On September 25, 2008, President George W. Bush signed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) 18 years after his father, President George H. W. Bush, signed the ADA. The amendment was necessary because the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) perception of disability under the ADA was too narrow. The ADAAA overrides past SCOTUS interpretations decreeing that the disability definition should be construed broadly to make it easier for individuals to establish they have a protected disability.

So what is the criteria for showing that dwarfism is covered under the ADAAA? A “yes” answer to any one of the following three questions means you’re protected.

  • Do you have an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities?
  • Do you have a record of such an impairment?
  • Are you regarded as having an impairment even though you don’t?

It’s not about a diagnosis, but rather whether an impairment substantially limits the ability of an individual to perform a major life activity as compared to most people in the general population. This requires an individualized assessment.

The ADAAA (42 U.S.C. § 12102) and regulations of the United States Department of Justice (28 C.F.R. §§35.108, 36.105) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC, 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2) spell out how the disability definition should be construed. Non exhaustive lists define “physical or mental impairment,” “substantially limits,” and “major life activities.” As a little person with Larsen’s Syndrome I can pick pertinent traits from these lists to demonstrate my disability under the ADAAA. For instance, my physiological disorder (1) affects my musculoskeletal, respiratory, and cardiovascular body systems; (2) substantially limits my major life activities of walking, sleeping, standing, reaching, lifting, bending, breathing; and (3) affects normal cell growth. People with dwarfism and other disabilities can also pick from these lists to show how they meet the ADAAA disability definition.

Thankfully many people with dwarfism have qualified for ADAAA protection. Here are a few examples:

  • An applicant was compensated $20,000 after being denied a purchasing manager position because he didn’t have a driver’s license even though having a license was not an essential job function. United States vs. York County, South Carolina (2019).
  • A nine year old boy received compensatory damages from a youth wrestling league that failed to modify their policy to allow him to “play down” one age division so he could compete with wrestlers closer to his weight and size. B.K. vs. Pikes Peak Wrestling League (2016). 
  • Starbucks agreed to pay $75,000 to a trainee after denying a reasonable accommodation during training and then refusing to hire her (2012).

So let’s reframe the question. Are YOU disabled under the ADAAA? Check the regulations (cited above) to find out.

You may also want to read other ADA blog posts by Angela Muir Van Etten:

Employment note:

Under its affirmative action rules, the EEOC treats dwarfism as a targeted disability because dwarfs face significant barriers to employment, above and beyond the barriers faced by people with the broader range of disabilities, see “Questions & Answers: The EEOC’s Final Rule on Affirmative Action for People with Disabilities in Federal Employment.” January 3, 2017. https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/questions-answers-eeocs-final-rule-affirmative-action-people-disabilities-federal

Categories
Medical

PHYSICAL THERAPY: Move and Improve

heart PT

We missed World Physical Therapy Day on September 8, but let’s make sure we don’t miss the benefits of physical therapy (PT). As Albert Einstein said, “Life is like a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” And that’s where physical therapists come in—they “move people to action” (PTProgress.com).

“It will hurt.
It will take time.
It will take dedication.
It will require willpower.
It requires sacrifice.
There will be temptation.
But when you reach your goal it’s worth it.”
Author Unknown.

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The natural tendency is to resist PT because it hurts! Indeed that’s a common excuse for refusing to do assigned exercises. But as counter intuitive as it sounds, PT can help reduce pain and discomfort. For example, by strengthening muscles, tendons, and ligaments strain on the joints is eased. Therefore we need to be stronger than our excuses and follow the example of various patients:

“Instead of giving myself reasons why I can’t, I give myself reasons why I can.”

(Proactivept.com)

“Today it hurts, tomorrow it works.”

(teepublic.com).

I know this from experience. At age 36, I had severe pain and immobility in my left shoulder. I’d had it before but, this time, rest and over-the-counter medication didn’t solve the problem. I was skeptical when an orthopedist referred me to PT. But after three months of anti-inflammatory pills, heating pads, ultrasound, stretching, and exercise, I was pain-free with improved range of motion. I also learned how to manage future frozen shoulder threats and flare-ups.

PT also helps with post-surgery rehabilitation. After my husband Robert’s bilateral hip replacements in 1997, he not only grew an inch, he also worked hard on his therapy. His discharge from the hospital to home depended on him being able to climb stairs into the house. He was so determined to achieve this goal that the therapist observed that he must be a workaholic. And she was right. Once at home, he continued his hard work and dedicated himself to reach his new goals of returning to the office and driving his vehicle.

After my aortic valve replacement open heart surgery in 2013, I imagined I would entertain visitors reclining on plumped up pillows in the bed. Instead hospital staff had me on my feet and walking circuits within a couple of days. The patients who stayed in bed instead of doing their daily walks were jeopardizing their recovery. I understood the connection between movement and healing, used all six of my PT home visits, and diligently did my exercises. Thankfully my therapist was very adept at modifying the exercise regime to my orthopedic limitations. He taught me how to stay physically active without breaching sternal precautions.

PT can also be an alternative to medication and surgery. It can increase endurance and strength, improve balance and breathing, and reduce joint inflammation. If you want independence without disabling pain, consider PT. Be ready to “push yourself; no one is going to do it for you.”

 “The work you do today determines where you will be tomorrow.”

(k2-healthcare.com)

The therapy examples in this post are excerpted from “PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith,” book II in my dwarfism memoir trilogy. go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com for book details and retail links.

Categories
Inclusion

Disability Inclusion and Emergency Planning

Courtney Wentz unsplash
Photo by Courtney Wentz on Unsplash
Photo credit Eden Emerald Buyers Agent
https://eebuyersagent.com.au/

This Patriot’s Day we honor the memory of the 2,977 people killed by terrorists on September 11, 2001. Let’s pause for a moment and renew our solemn vow to never forget. We can also continue our resolve for never again by appreciating the Transportation Security Administration created to prevent similar attacks in the future.

Generally, post disaster studies advance the never again resolve by focusing on future preparation, response, recovery and mitigation. The 18 separate billion-dollar weather disasters in 2022—causing at least 474 deaths—has given emergency management agencies much to review and tweak in their plans. Yet despite being

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adversely and disproportionately impacted and at higher risk of dying during disasters, older adults and people with disabilities are often excluded from the planning process. This needs to change!

Integrating people with disabilities in emergency drills and exercises is a good place to start. June Isaacson Kailes, a disability policy consultant, provides practical guidance on how to make this happen (see citation at the end of this post):

1. Recruit qualified disability subject matter experts based on experience living with a disability or implementing equal access and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act;

2. Use people with actual disabilities not nondisabled actors;

3. Get participant feedback about what worked, didn’t work and what needs to work;

4. Budget for accommodations like handouts in alternative formats or sign language interpreters. Consider helping with the costs of transportation, personal assistants, and support people;

5. Choose an accessible location i.e. near a public transportation stop with accessible restrooms, meeting facilities, and staging area;

6. Schedule the exercise when public transportation is available; and

7. Garner feedback from disabled participants on the exercise and draft After Action Report.

Failure to follow these guidelines can result in flawed plans based on disability stereotypes and misconceptions. Also deaf or mobility impaired recruits may bail on an exercise if unable to understand an unqualified interpreter unfamiliar with the terms being used or unable to use an inaccessible bathroom.

Kathie, a blogger who is blind and participates in local emergency response drills every four years, observes that responders are good caring people, but may lack training on disability dos and don’ts. She encourages people with disabilities to volunteer to be victims and uses her participation to educate responders on disability etiquette. Her top three tips to responders are (1) don’t separate me from my service dog, but if you have to, hold his leash at all times; (2) don’t grab and manhandle me—tell me what you’re doing instead; and (3) don’t push me in front of you—let me take your elbow.

There’s a bill pending in both houses of Congress that addresses these issues—the Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion (REAADI) for Disasters Act Senate (S. 1049) and House (H.R. 2371). Please contact your representatives to solicit support for this law which protects the health, safety and independence of people with disabilities during a disaster.

You may also want to read:

Categories
Transportation

Disabled Scooter Airport Story

Disabled scooter

I landed in Sydney, Australia after a grueling 16-hour flight from Dallas, Texas (connecting from West Palm Beach, WPB, Florida). The flight was flawless, unless you count Sydney baggage handlers propensity for ignoring instructions to deliver my scooter to the plane door. They’ve done this so many times in the past, I anticipated the need to use wheelchair service to baggage claim where the scooter was delivered.

On my return trip to Florida three weeks later, check-in staff agreed for me to ride my scooter up the jetway to the plane door where a lift could take it downstairs to the

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baggage hold. Yet despite being at the gate for at least an hour before boarding, the boarding agent told me I was going to make the plane late! What? She was the one who stopped me riding the scooter to the door and instead of pre-boarding me with passengers needing assistance was boarding me last because she couldn’t get anyone to take the scooter. Finally, another employee intervened. He let me ride to the door and had no trouble finding two baggage handlers to take the scooter down the lift. Clearly the boarding agent was the source of this problem.

Upon arrival in Dallas, I was pleasantly surprised when my scooter appeared unscathed at the plane’s door. But sadly my scooter story doesn’t end here. After immigration and customs clearance, the scooter broke down. A concerned passenger tried to help, but despite being a mechanic he couldn’t diagnose or fix the mechanical problem without proper tools. (Ironically this forced me to check the disabled scooter in Dallas and voluntarily pick it up in baggage claim in WPB.)

Meanwhile I had to get to my connecting gate without wheels to carry me, my CPAP, computer, coat, and handbag. This time I welcomed the wheelchair service. However, when the gate changed to another terminal requiring a SkyLink ride on the monorail, my wheelchair transporter tried to dump me onto a golf cart with a step too high for me to climb. I refused to switch. This was the first of seven gate changes—three on my original departure date and four the next day after my first flight was cancelled and rescheduled. Each change involved a prolonged wait for another transporter.

But God was in the details. I teamed up with another passenger connecting to WPB who also needed wheelchair service. We watched one others bags when we went to the bathroom, got something to eat, or requested a transporter. And when our flight was cancelled a Good Samaritan advocated to help us avoid going to gate number eight to rebook our flight and arrange vouchers for a hotel, taxi and meal.

I landed in WPB 25 hours later than planned at 12:30 a.m. Despite the early morning hour, prayers were answered when a baggage handler was there with a cart to carry the disabled scooter, a wheelchair transporter brought me to baggage claim, and good friends Lorrie and Garry brought me home.

God provided for all my needs.

For more of my writings, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com where you can subscribe to my weekly blog and find retail links to my dwarfism memoir trilogy.

Categories
Medical

Crashing Into My 70th Birthday

70th birthday

A positive COVID test, difficulty breathing, losing consciousness, getting my clothes cut off, and a midnight birthday serenade by ER staff were not how I imagined starting my 70th birthday. Instead of gathering around a dinner table with cake and candles in Sydney Australia, my family gathered in the ER waiting room for news whether I would live or die. They had good reason for concern—hypoxia (low oxygen), bluish skin (cyanosis), a double load of carbon dioxide and lactic acid in my blood, and GCS 3 on the Glasgow Coma Scale (incoherent talk). I classified as a “crashing” patient.

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The first thing I remember hours after my brother-in-law Rob carried me down the stairs on the way to the hospital, was hearing the word “intubation.” Although I was saying “no,” the decision not to intubate had already been made. Thankfully, a specialist had previously rejected this ventilation method. I speculate that my sister Deborah’s disclosure of my dwarfism type contributed to understanding that intubation came with the risk of cutting off my airway.

Fervent prayers were offered on my behalf and God graciously answered when an ER team of eight stabilized me. I was assigned an isolation (negative pressure) unit in the ICU. Among other treatments, a BiPAP machine pushed air into my lungs to improve the blood oxygen level.

70th birthday cake

Fully alert on the morning of my 70th birthday, I was cut off from typical communication lines. The wall clock was hidden behind the nonfunctioning TV screen and I had no phone, computer, or Bible. All I could do was sit quietly like a well-loved fish in a bowl looking out through the glass at the workstation of my one-on-one nurse.

I contemplated my first bout with COVID and the unraveling of birthday plans:

  • Cancelled family dinner.
  • Scrubbed trip to New Zealand.
  • COVID restrictions on interaction with people.

Despite extreme disappointment, I knew God doesn’t make mistakes! He made this clear when He walked beside me every step of the way:

  • Caring ICU visits from Deborah and my brother Greg fully garbed in personal protective equipment.
  • Covering medical expenses with my travel insurance policy.
  • Enjoying slices of an indulgent, chocolate birthday cake.
  • Limiting my hospitalization to two nights and three days.
  • Using credit from my cancelled flight to New Zealand for my matron of honor to visit me in Sydney instead of me visiting her in Christchurch.
  • Celebrating the birthday of my friend from kindergarten days.
  • Saving one week to savor Sydney sights.

Within days of returning home to Florida, a head injury from a fall required another ER visit. Hospital Chaplain Bob prayed with me and played a hymn favorite, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” on his harmonica. My confidence in God’s faithfulness was twice confirmed. First by the lyrics—

“Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”—

and second by the source of the lyrics in Lamentations 3:22-23. (Providentially these verses were in my August 27 Sunday School lesson.)

God’s protection and timing are perfect!

For more of my writings, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com where you can subscribe to my weekly blog and find retail links to my dwarfism memoir trilogy.

Categories
Medical

Adapting to Changes in Climate and Age

Senior Citizens

In July 2003, Robert was shocked when we landed in my homeland of Auckland, New Zealand. He’d been there before, but was not a fan of winter visits. The 50 degree Fahrenheit drop in temperature from Florida’s 90 to Auckland’s 40 revealed Robert’s dependency on indoor temperature control. Telling him that the drop was only 27.5 degrees Celsius was no consolation.

Robert compensated by using dad’s two-month supply of kerosene for the heater in only three days! Despite being irritated by this drastic depletion in his fuel supply, my father threw open all the windows to let some fresh air into the over-heated room. Robert was shocked again. He hadn’t learned how to adapt to New Zealand’s way of staying warm—use a heater to remove the early morning chill and wear winter clothes inside.

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When we flew to Sydney, Australia for more family visits, it was my turn to adapt. Shortly after a surprise 50th birthday celebration—where I was crowned the queen—I was rudely reminded of my advancing years. I fell and severely sprained my wrist the day before we flew home. I had one night to ice it, then fellow passengers across the Pacific suffered with me as I massaged myself with penetrating and aromatic extra-strength heat cream. The healing process was impeded by the need to continue lifting myself on and off chairs, toilets, and in and out of the car.

I was also losing range of motion in my ankles. The pain interrupted my sleep, reduced my limited walking distance, made stairs and curbs impossible to climb without a railing, and required avoidance of uneven surfaces like grass and gravel. After looking at x-ray images, an orthopedist came into the patient room and looked around for my wheelchair. He was amazed I could walk independently. He diagnosed severe arthritis and prescribed a scooter and lift to get it in and out of the car.

I followed up with the opinion of an orthopedist with dwarfism expertise—Dr. Mary Matejcyk, the same orthopedist who replaced Robert’s hips in 1997. She advised that the spontaneous fusion of my ankle joints was causing the pain. This sounds bad, but it was actually good news. Surgical intervention would be to fuse the joints and my ankles were doing this on their own. The only concern was that the ankles fuse in the right position for standing; thankfully, this appeared to be happening. When the fusion was complete the pain would end. And she was right.

Fast forward 20 years and we are both fully retired and have achieved our allotted three-score-and-ten years. Aging issues are more prevalent with daily medications, numerous doctor appointments throughout the month, and reliance on scooters for distance. Although our schedules are more flexible, declining mobility and stamina doesn’t allow for as many activities. Indeed we wonder how we ever had time to go to work!

As we navigate our bonus years (70 and beyond), we remain thankful for the resources God has provided and whatever comes next.

[In recognition of National Senior Citizens Day on August 21, 2023, this post updates “Adapting to Changes in Climate and Age.” Angela Muir Van Etten blog (August 23, 2021).]

You may also want to read:

Categories
Little People of America

How My Life Would Be Different Without LPA

Little People of America
  • I would not have married a President.
  • I would not have attended 29 national conferences in 20 states and four countries.
  • I would not have spent so many weeks in meetings and become proficient with Robert’s Rules of Order.
  • I would not have read LPA Bylaws or cared enough to try and change them.
  • I would not have chaperoned a 17-year old at his first LPA conference.
  • I would have earned fewer frequent flyer miles.

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    • I would have stayed in fewer hotels.
    • I would have missed the free advice from medical experts in dwarfism.
    • I would not have received an LPA education scholarship.
    • I would not have posed for so many group photos.
    • The opportunity to encourage parents to raise their child with dwarfism with the same expectations and boundaries as their other children would have been lost.
    • I would not have learned the lessons that come from being in the majority.
    • River rafting in the afternoon and modeling my wedding dress in the evening would never have happened.
    • I would not have met so many celebrities or little people from all over the world.
    • Local little people communities would not have welcomed me when I moved from New Zealand to Virginia to Maryland to Ohio to New York to Florida.
    • I would get fewer emails.
    • I would not have enjoyed so much hospitality from LPA members opening their homes for meetings.
    • I would not have been a guest in so many modified LP kitchens and seen how to make my home more accessible.
    • I would not have needed a Media Resume.
    • I would have missed learning how the media censors the facts in order to promote a point of view.
    • Conservative Rush Limbaugh and Liberal Howard Stern would not have criticized me in a radio broadcast on the same day for suggesting that little people have a “cause.”
    • I would not have had to explain to so many people why the word “midget” is derogatory.
    • I would never have read so many great books written by people with dwarfism.
    • I would never have used a scooter to extend my endurance and long term joint maintenance.
    • I would not have been on the advocacy teams that defeated dwarf tossing in Chicago, Florida, and New York.
    • ATMs and credit card readers on gas pumps at my local gas station would still be out of reach.
    • My T-shirt wardrobe would be deficient.
    • I would have missed meeting other Little People with my diagnosis.
    • I would have got a lot more sleep.
    • I would have fewer friends.
    • I would not have laughed and cried so much.
    • My photo albums would not feature little people.
    • Free time would be a reality not a concept.
    • I would have missed being in the dwarfism melting pot of diagnoses, gender, ethnicity, nationality, economic and faith backgrounds.

    [In recognition of National Nonprofit Day on August 17, 2023, this post updates “How My Life Would Be Different Without LPA,” Angela Muir Van Etten blog post (September 28, 2020).]

    A reading list for digging deeper:

    Categories
    Awareness

    Dwarfism Memoir Trilogy Punctuated with Triple Threads

    Trilogy Complete

    After 33 years my dwarfism memoir trilogy is finally complete. Three books in a little more than three decades about God’s three gifts of grace in my life—faith, hope, and love. As it happens, the word “three” has emerged as a thread in this cradle to retirement memoir series.

    ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE: Champions of Change for People with Dwarfism and Disabilities (#3) is organized into three parts: Part I considers volunteer leadership challenges; Part II covers dwarf tossing; and Part III deals with equal access. The book is available in three formats: e-book, paperback, and audio.

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    Part I discusses the three times Robert or I served as LPA President during the years membership grew from about 3,000 in 1980 to 6,000 in 2006. Part II addresses LPA’s action to halt the dwarf tossing atrocity in three states—Illinois, Florida, and New York. Part III involves equal access to the built environment, education, emergency operations, housing, social security disability benefits, transportation, and voting. It took three years to break the six-inch reach barrier in the built environment standing against three of the most powerful industries in the nation—banking, oil, and retail.

    PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith (#2) is available in both print and as an e-book. Our marriage was cemented with three marriage ceremonies in 1981. The wedding and anniversary rings on three fingers of my left hand symbolize our commitment.

    Though if one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:12, New International Version

    Robert and I met when I came from New Zealand to America for three months on a Winston Churchill Fellowship. I obtained an American law degree after attending law school for three semesters. Despite passing the three day Ohio bar exam, I experienced discrimination in three job interviews.

    After a three-hour hip replacement surgery in 1997, Robert tanked up on three pints of blood. When he forgot to bring his electric razor to the hospital, a hand razor was off limits for three weeks because he was on a blood thinner. We couldn’t decide if the resulting beard gave him the distinguished professor or garden gnome look.

    Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses (#1) is available as an e-book and used print copies. It took three photo shoots on bitterly cold days to get the right cover photo image.

    I’m the eldest of three children and Robert has three younger brothers. Our adult height is the size of a three year old. When I was a bridesmaid for the third time, someone said, “If you’re a bridesmaid three times, you’ll never be married yourself.” Don’t believe everything you hear.

    So what do all these threes mean? Whatever you want to read into it. Maybe not a triple crown, but certainly three opportunities to learn about dwarfism in childhood, marriage, and advocacy. Read and change your life for the better!

    [In recognition of National Book Lovers Day on August 9, 2023, this post updates “DWARFISM TRILOGY COMPLETE: Recurring Pattern of Three Emerges.” Angela Muir Van Etten blog post (September 27, 2021).]

    Resources for digging deeper:

    Categories
    Accessibility

    Need Greater Equipment Access? Talk to the Manufacturer

    Elevator access
    Angela stands in front of an accessible elevator panel of floor buttons and inserts a hotel keycard to access the elevator floor selected. Her sister-in-law, Julie, stands next to her watching the wonder of independent access.

    Fifty plus years ago I rarely used an elevator. I grew up in a single story house and there were no elevators at school. However, that all changed when I began university in 1971. The law library was on the fifth floor, lecture rooms were on the sixth, and the highest button I could reach was for the fourth floor. Even the open door button and emergency telephone were out of reach!

    Ten years later, little people were still struggling to reach elevator buttons. Hotels hosting Little People of America (LPA) meetings would temporarily equip elevators with wands and stools. But this only worked if floor buttons didn’t require heat from a skin touch or the person was able to use a stool. And sadly, the accommodations were removed when the meeting was over.

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    Ten years later, little people were still struggling to reach elevator buttons. Hotels hosting Little People of America (LPA) meetings would temporarily equip elevators with wands and stools. But this only worked if floor buttons didn’t require heat from a skin touch or the person was able to use a stool. And sadly, the accommodations were removed when the meeting was over.

    So what could LPA do about out-of-reach elevator buttons? In the 1990s, when out-of-reach ATMs propelled LPA to advocate for lowering ATMs in the ICC/ANSI A117.1 Committee on Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities (ANSI Access Committee), we discovered that the reach range code section applied to everything open to the public activated with a push, pull or turn. Removing the six-inch reach barrier for ATMs would also bring elevator buttons within reach of at least a half million people with dwarfism, limited upper arm strength and movement, and other disabilities.

    After vigorous debate in February 1996, the ANSI Access Committee agreed to LPA’s proposal to lower the unobstructed side reach from 54 to 48 inches in the second draft revision of the ANSI Access Code. Although the elevator industry was generally willing to meet the 48 inch standard, they sought an exception for buildings with more than 16 elevator stops. Without this exception, the industry would be boxed in between a 48 inch high side reach and a 15 inch low side reach needed to accommodate people who are blind; this left insufficient room for floor buttons in high rise buildings. The industry needed time to re-engineer the control panel.

    LPA agreed not to fight the exception sought by the National Elevator Industry Institute (NEII) in the 1998 ICC/ANSI code given their commitment to form a Task Group to understand the access needs of little people and explore ways of providing 100% elevator access in the future. At the same time, LPA put the industry on notice that we would propose removal of this exception in the 2003 revision cycle.

    After meeting with LPA representatives three times, NEII came up with a technology solution designed to enable little people to reach ANY floor destination. With technology comparable to setting the time on an alarm clock,people use an up or down scan button to select a floor destination. The LPA/NEII proposal was accepted at the May 2002 ANSI Access Committee meeting and appears in § 407.4.8, ICC/ANSI A117.1-2003.

    Yet despite this technology breakthrough being added to the ANSI Access Code, I have yet to see this feature on any elevator. Please comment if you have seen a floor destination scan button in service? This post was based in part on excerpts from two books in my dwarfism trilogy memoir: ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE: Champions of Change for People with Dwarfism and Disabilities and Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses. Book details and buy links are found at https://angelamuirvanetten.com/books/.