“The good news is that it made the handicapped more available to live normal lives and be a part of the work force.”
It did no such thing. Handicapped people were employed prior to this and no one is getting a job because of the ADA. If anything the ADA made handicapped people a protected class meaning any business dealings going awry with a handicapped person is a de facto basis for litigation. Which means a rational response even if denied or unconscious is to avoid even interviewing handicapped people. It’s the same thing with race, gender, age, disability, Native American status, vet status, etc.. Thankfully most employers try to navigate around the landmines using things like elaborate job descriptions and blind testing but it happens now more than before the ADA.
Of course just as with any subsidized condition we have an ever increasing number of handicapped. Who else remembers leaving the close parking spots open for those that needed them? No we have the blue placards fighting amongst themselves for the best handicapped spots.
Soon everyone will have a placard indicating their level of disability which will determine how close they get to park. No choice, in my state our disability rate is closing in on 20% which means 20% must be designated handicapped.
In the meantime the profoundly handicapped are being vastly underserved.
I had ditched the walker and was climbing stairs just fine by mid-November 2024. I'm much better now. I can walk all over Fred Meyer with ease. The critical hurdle was getting over all of the infections. I haven't used the hang tag since late November 2024. It was helpful, but only needed temporarily. Now I get to walk into places past long rows of empty handicapped spaces like everyone else.