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Donald Trumps War on People With Disabilities

ThemanwhosayshehasgivenmoretoAmericanswithdisabilitiesthananyoneelsehasfacedaslewoflawsuitsoverADAcompliance.
DonaldTrump,truthmanipulatorinchief,hasagainrunafoulofrealitythistimewhenhespokeabouthisrelationshipwithAmericanswithdisabilities.
NobodygivesmoremoneytoAmericansyouknow,theAmericanswithDisabilitiesActbigact,TrumpconfusinglysaidatarallyinSarasota,Florida,on
Saturday.IgivetensandtensofmillionsofdollarsandImproudofdoingit.Idontmockpeoplethathaveproblems.
ThiswashisdefenseafterTrumpmaliciouslyimitateda1HZ<RUN7LPHVreporterwithaphysicaldisabilityandfolloweditupbysayinghehadnevermethimand
requestedthatthepublicationapologizetoTrump.
Iwasveryexpressiveinsayingit,andtheysaidthatIwasmockinghim,TrumptoldthecrowdinSarasotaovertheweekend.Iwouldnevermockapersonthathas
difficulty.Iwouldneverdothat.Imtellingyou,Iwouldneverdoit.
HepreviouslyalsomadefunofcolumnistCharlesKrauthammer,whoisparalyzedfromthewaistdown.Iwentout,Imadeafortune,abigfortune,atremendous
fortunebiggerthanpeopleevenunderstand,TrumpsaidinJulyafterKrauthammerreferredtohimasarodeoclown.
ThenIgetcalledbyaguythatcantbuyapairofpants,Igetcallednames?
Now,itistruethatTrumphasaprettyextensivetrackrecordwithADA.
HispropertieshavebeensuedanumberoftimesforviolationsoftheAmericansWithDisabilitiesAct,includingoneinstancewhereamanclaimedthatthebusesto
hisAtlanticCitycasinowerevirtuallyimpossibletoaccessinawheelchair.
JamesConlon,theplaintiffinthat2003case,allegedthathewastoldontwoseparateoccasionsthattherewerenobusesavailableforusebypersonswhouse
wheelchairswhochoosetoleavefromtheLongBeach,NewYorkdeparturesite.
Thecasewaslatersettled.
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Inthemostegregiouscase,theU.S.DepartmentofJusticehadtointervenebecausetheTrumpTajMahalwasnearly
inaccessibleforpeoplewithdisabilities.

Consideringthereare
56millionAmericans
livingwithadisability,
youwouldthinka
candidatefor
presidentwouldbe
lookingfor
opportunitiesto
highlighttheir
remarkable
contributionsto
society,notmock
them.

In2011,theUnitedStatesAttorney'sOfficefortheDistrictofNewJerseyconductedacompliancereviewofTrumpsTaj
MahalcasinoinAtlanticCity.Theydiscoveredanextensivelistofproblems.

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Therewerenosignsindicatinghandicappedparkingintheselfparkgarage.Anumberofbathroomslackedproper

Brailleforvisuallyimpairedpeople.Thepipesinthebathroomwerenotinsulatedtopreventharmwhencontacted.Thecountersurfacesinthebuffetwerenotata
properheightforindividualsinwheelchairs.Thelistgoeson,asthesewereonlysomeoftheDepartmentsmoresignificantfindings.
Thetermsofthesettlementbetweenthecompanyandthefederalgovernmentmandatedthatappropriateupdatesbemadeassoonastwoweeksaftertheagreement
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inordertopreventfurtherinspectionsthereafter.ArepresentativefortheTajMahalhasnotrespondedtoarequestforcommentfromTheDailyBeastaboutthe
statusoftheseupdates.
Accordingtoitsofficialwebsite,ADAcomplianceisrequiredforcommercialandpublicentitiesthathaveplacesofpublicaccommodation.Thereareclear
instructionsforaccessibilitycertificationonthewebsite,includingupdatestotheoriginalrequirementsfromtheactsinceptionin1990.
Trumpsproblemswentbeyondhisproperties.In2005,attorneyJamesSchottelJr.suedproducersof7KH$SSUHQWLFHfordiscriminationbyrequiringexcellent
physicalhealthtoappearontheshow.Schottel,whoisquadriplegic,tookissuewiththisrequirementatthetimeandeventuallygottheshowtochangethelanguage
onitscastingcall.
DavidF.Jacobs,arepresentativeoftheCivilRightsDivisionoftheDepartmentofJustice,toldTheDailyBeasthecouldntspeakontherecordaboutanyexisting
ADAcomplaintsrelatedtoTrumpproperties,someofwhicharenolongerownedbyTrumphimself.Heinsteadprovidedalinktotheirwebsite,whichlistedcases
includingthe2011oneinvolvingTrumpTajMahal.
Thesecasesnotwithstanding,TrumphasearnedtheireofAmericandisabilityorganizationsforhisrecentmockingofa1HZ<RUN7LPHVreporter,whochallenged
TrumpsclaimsthatthousandsofMuslimpeopleinNewJerseywerecheeringafterthe9/11attacks.
"Consideringthereare56millionAmericanslivingwithadisability,youwouldthinkacandidateforpresidentwouldbelookingforopportunitiestohighlighttheir
remarkablecontributionstosociety,notmockthem,formerPennsylvaniagovernorTomRidgetoldTheDailyBeast.RidgeservesasthechairmanoftheNational
OrganizationonDisability,workingalongsideformerpresidentGeorgeH.W.Bush.
JustaskanyofthecompaniesNODworkswithandtheylltellyoupeoplewithdisabilitiesaretheirbestworkers,Ridgeadded.
Mr.TrumpwouldbewisetorememberthewordsofNODslongtimehonorarychairman,PresidentGeorgeH.W.Bush,whoaftersigningtheADAintolaw25years
agosaidtothoseinattendance:Weembraceyouforyourabilitiesandforyourdisabilities,foroursimilaritiesandindeedforourdifferences.ThatiswhatIcall
presidential

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