Thoughts about the class' discussion and ADA.

About the high cost of the product for people with disability, as a designer, I have to say, cost issue is involved in many circumstances. The price of the product is determined by the type of client, market positioning, material using and the expenditures during the design process. People like to use environmental-friendly material to manufacture the product, and it makes the price fluctuate. The products for people with disability can be called service products in nowadays society, from my perspective, the products design for service should have a reasonable price. However, the price is not always acceptable. 

As for a workplace which company claimed to be friendly to everyone who has passion for the work, it might not be as warm as claimed. This potential ableism issue is not merely about if companies provide work opportunities, people also encounters such issue when the environment is not accessible for people with disability. As we said before, this is a social problem and we have a struggle time to fight with that. Communities and companies should show their sincerity, not only by publishing some documents which embody the concerns for people with disability. People always talk about the financial problem they encountered when they need to make some change, that is not the way to solve the problem, it just postpones the problem. 

Ableism is always a serious social problem, ADA is legislated from people with disabilities’ perspective to increase people with disabilities’ social position and attract more public attention about the ableism in nowadays. Before the ADA, even there was a law to maintain people with disabilities’ equal rights, but at that time this kind of law only effected public sector, but ADA broke the ice, it also works in private business. ADA stipulates companies and communities to modify their environment to make it more accessible, such as building the channel for wheelchairs, equipping the professional facilities for people with disability. Adjust the different work position for people with disability if in need. ADA also stipulates communities not to treat differently from people without disability, such as salary, promotion and dismissal. According to the ADA, people with disability can maintain their right much better. However, in some cases, ADA not really work very well.

There is still huge numbers’ employer thought the people with disability cannot work really well as people without disability. There are also some communities that are not willing to make a change for them. As we said before, the ableism is legislated but it doesn’t mean that it is practically solved. Making more and more people know about ADA, at same time, changing public’s traditional thought and attitude is also very important.