Mike HoenigAs America heads toward the July 26 anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and begin to discuss the new ADA Restoration Act, some media are looking into the accessibility of their communities. The Quad City Times in Davenport, Iowa, looked thoroughly into what is and isn't being done there to make the area disability friendly.
Mike Hoenig, 44, an advocate for people with disabilities in Davenport, (pictured above grocery shopping) said the ADA has been weakened over the years.
“There have been frivolous lawsuits and some negative sentiment,” he said. “There’s a backlash.”
Hoenig, who has been blind since birth, says the Quad-City area is fairly accessible, but he knows some people with disabilities continue to face barriers.
“I’ve been really fortunate,” he said. “I’ve not faced a lot of discrimination.”
Hoenig even helped the local dinner theater, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, become more accessible. He now uses an “audio describer” for the performances he attends and became a regular theater patron.