Larry Plachno

Publisher - Writer - Book Author - Transportation Historian

9704 West Judson Road Polo, Illinois 61064
Phone: (815) 946-2341 Fax: (815) 946-2347

Representative Lane Evans Date: 09/10/93

1535 47th Avenue, No. 5 Page: 1
Moline, Illinois 61265

Dear Representative Evans,

I am writing to request information on when implementation

procedures will be issued under the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) for handicapped Americans other than wheelchair users.

It is my understanding that the basic intent of the Americans with

Disabilities Act was to end discrimination and to provide both access
and mobility that had been denied to Americans with physical handicaps.
However, all of the implementation guidelines I have seen to date
appear to be directed solely towards Americans in wheelchairs. This may
well be the discrimination the ADA was expected to eliminate since it
ignores other Americans who are denied both access and mobility because
of other physical handicaps. In particular, I refer to those Americans
who have been denied both access and mobility because of a physical
handicap that requires frequent access to restroom facilities.

Many Americans suffer from a physical disability that requires

frequent access to restroom facilities. These physical disabilities
include ulcers, a nervous stomach, enlarged prostate, plus various
other kidney, bladder and internal disorders. In addition, most
Americans will temporarily have a similar need from time to time
because of flu, diarrhea or a stressful situation. Some of the major
problem areas are as follows:

1. Public Buildings and Shopping

While most major public buildings, shopping centers and larger

department stores provide public toilets, there are other areas that do
not, or have inadequate signage pointing to such facilities. In
particular, supermarkets are notoriously bad about providing public
toilets. One of the worst situations is a tourist or shopping area
consisting primarily of smaller shops, stores or restaurants which feel
that each is too small to provide public restroom facilities. For
example, it is very difficult to find public restrooms in San
Francisco's Chinatown and in the French Quarter in New Orleans. The
downtown area in smaller communities frequently provides similar
problems.

2. Public Transportation and Interstate Highways

Most rail transportation and interstate buses are equipped with

adequate restroom facilities. Commercial aviation is borderline at
best. Most airports provide adequate restroom facilities. However, once
on board the aircraft, passengers are excluded from the restrooms for
prolonged periods during takeoff and landing. In addition, there are
many smaller commercial airplanes with no restrooms at all.One of the
major problems in regard to access and mobility is city transit since
most city buses and rapid transit cars do not have restroom facilities.
While interstate buses and railroad trains have provided restroom
facilities for years, the city transit people have discriminated
against people who require these facilities.

01-02691
​Larry Plachno 9704 West Judson Road Polo, Illinois 61064
Date: 09/10/93
Page: 2

Like many people with a similar disability, I have long since given up
counting the number of times I have been unable to use public municipal
transportation because of the lack of restroom facilities. It should be
mentioned that providing restroom facilities at rapid transit stations
does not solve the problem. I once had a serious problem on the rapid
transit in Miami when I was unable to locate a transit employee with a
key to unlock the facilities at a station.

People with this type of disability find it difficult to use our

federal interstate highway system because of inadequate restroom
facilities.

The single biggest problem area I have found is a section of interstate

highway that I use regularly. I enter Interstate 39 just east of Mendota,
Illinois at U.S. 34. From here I drive south to Bloomington, Illinois And then
east on Interstate 74 to the Indiana state line. There is no rest area located
south and east-bound on this route - a driving distance of over three hours.
West and northbound on this route there is one rest area just west of
Danville, which still leaves a driving distance of approximately three hours
without a rest area.

The next worst area I am aware of is on Interstate 30 on the east side

of Dallas, Texas. Any route through Dallas (such as from or to Fort Worth or
San Antonio) involving this segment of Interstate 30 may stretch out to two
hours of driving without a rest area. And, the situation gets worse if you are
caught in rush hour traffic getting through Dallas.

A similar situation to Dallas exists on interstate routes through many

major cities because rest areas are almost never located within major cities
or on city bypass routes. One location that comes particularly to mind is
Interstate 75 through Atlanta since rest areas in both directions are located
quite some distance from the city.

The similarity in access and mobility between the wheelchair handicapped

and those who require restroom facilities should be obvious. The wheelchair
people have a physical handicap that requires ramps, lifts, and elevators for
access and mobility. The restroom people have a physical handicap that
requires toilet facilities for access and mobility.

3. Vehicle Discrimination

One of the major problems with this type of handicap is vehicle

discrimination. Because my occupation requires extensive travel, I have
taken to using a converted motorcoach. In addition to having its own
toilet, it also provides me with hot liquids and a shower. It
effectively serves the same purpose as a wheelchair does to a non-
ambulatory person. But, like a wheelchair, it encounters problems in
access and mobility.

Noteworthy is the fact that Illinois and Ohio allow automobiles to

travel at 65 miles per hour on the interstates but Illinois restricts
RV's to 55 miles per hour and Ohio restricts non-commercial buses to 55
miles per hour. Clearly a discrimination against private vehicles
equipped with toilets.

In many places, our converted coaches and RV's have parking problems.
Where wheelchairs have problems because buildings are designed for the
ambulatory, we have problems because parking lots are designed for
automobiles.
We need larger parking spaces plus curves and turns designed for larger
vehicles
that have a larger turning radius. Unlike the wheelchair people, we do not
require premium space in the front and will settle for space along the
far edges of the parking lot.

Although I have not had a serious problem, there are complaints about
weight restrictions and residential parking restrictions that permit
automobiles but discriminate against RVs and converted coaches.
 There are times when I feel that we need special license plates, just
like the wheelchair people. Admittedly, it might be a little tacky to use a
toilet symbol in place of the wheelchair symbol on the license
01-02692
​Larry Plachno 9704 West Judson Road Polo, Illinois 61064
Date: 09/10/93
Page: 3

plate, but I presume that another appropriate symbol or letter could be

found.

Incidentally, I might mention that there are some organizations and

companies that have already made some effort to improve this situation. For
example, the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain has several locations with
specific parking allocated to RV's and similar larger vehicles. Most of the
Flying J service stations have special fueling islands for RV-type vehicles
and even offer dump stations for our toilets.

Going back to my original request, I am very much afraid that we have

been left out of the ADA. I would appreciate information on time schedules for
implementation procedures for handicapped Americans other than wheelchair
users.

Thank you.
Yours sincerely,

Larry Plachno
01-02693