• ADA suits • Kamehameha Schools ADA suits The wave of Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits on Kaua‘i is bringing the issue of access to places of business and other facilities into the spotlight. A Kaua‘i woman has gone on
• ADA suits
• Kamehameha Schools
ADA suits
The wave of Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits on Kaua‘i is bringing the issue of access to places of business and other facilities into the spotlight.
A Kaua‘i woman has gone on a crusade, with a lawyer standing by, to press the issue with about 100 local businesses.
One has reported spending $10,000 to settle the claim.
There are details in the law that state that access must be offered, but at a reasonable cost to the business owner, not at any cost.
Some businesses approached by the woman are saying they didn’t know the details of the ADA law until they were pointed out.
It’s good that more businesses are becoming accessible by handicapped persons.
However, there are cases where the services of the business could be brought out to handicapped people, say at some restaurants, rather than having complete access to the handicapped person.
The lack of information on this issue might also show that government needs to be more proactive on letting businesses know how much accessibility they need to provide, rather than just saying “write away for this handy guide.”
Any widespread law like the ADA, can be misinterpreted and abused on both sides n by those who are required to provide access, and by those who are pushing for wider compliance.
Government created this law, and government needs to make sure the law if fairly applied to both sides of the door.
Kamehameha Schools
A seventh-grade Kapa‘a student is the focus of access, too. In this case to enrollment in the Kamehameha Schools system.
One question being asked is if the student’s step-father is of Native Hawaiian ancestry, does that make him eligible for the “Hawaiian-only” school.
The courts are taking a close look at the intent of Bernice Bishop Pauahi’s will to interpret what exactly she meant in leaving her vast estate to provide a good education for Hawaiian children. Did she mean those of Native Hawaiian ancestry? Or pre-Overthrow “Hawaiians,” who might be considered residents of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
A bigger question might be the right of a private citizen to decide how the funds from their estate can be spent. If they limit the spending to one ethnic group, or one religious group, such as Protestant children as decreed by the late ali‘i, should their wish be fulfilled if it means excluding others? These are questions rarely asked in over 100 years of fine education being provided by the Kamehameha Schools. The answers to these questions by the court could lower the level of education provided, or might open the door to Kamehameha Schools to thousands of more children over time.
