Susie,

Another organization you could contact if the disabilities commission
can't/won't do anything is DREDF.  They're in the Bay area (Berkeley,
or Berzerkly, as my radical sister with her PhD from there puts it),
so they should have some good contacts.  The person I know at DREDF is
Marilyn Golden, so she should be able to give you contacts in LA.

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
2212 Sixth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710

T  800-348-4232 (v/tty)
T  510.644.2555 (v/tty)
F  510-841-8645
E  [log in to unmask]


On 9/5/07, Linda Walker <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I am very familiar with that beach and I am shocked that would happen
> there. I hope you can get their names. They are county employees I
> think and LA County is a place they should know better, every place
> is but especially a county so big. The only other thing is they may
> be Santa Monica City employees. Do you know? Either way these are
> sophisticated communities with well developed human rights organizations.
>
> At 11:22 PM 9/4/2007, you wrote:
> >Hello everyone,
> >
> >Sorry I'm a little quiet.  I'm not myself, but don't worry  Meir.  You didn't
> >scare me off.  On the contrary, I really appreciated  your response and
> >everyone else's too.  I couldn't get back online for a  long time
> >after I posted
> >and then I was sort of speechless after reading through  the
> >posts.  It just got
> >to me to have support and I didn't know what to  say.
> >
> >To answer a few things that were asked or mentioned -- I'm in LA and  the
> >beach is Will Rodgers (a very public beach).  Neither time was I
> >near  the water
> >- in fact, when the worst thing happened I was sitting fully clothed -  shoes
> >and all - on the beach (he saw me walk from my car) so I don't think they
> >were worried about me swimming.  Plenty of people walk on
> >that  beach and never
> >swim.  Its not unusual there.  They just saw the  way I walked and jumped to
> >conclusions.  And they weren't even polite about  it - that's not
> >acceptable for
> >public employees at a beach.  We pay their  salaries. Even if they are
> >ignorant, they can be polite.
> >
> >And Mag, I love your idea about a day at the beach for my friends with
> >disabilities.  If only I knew enough people to go for it. With my
> >luck  though, the
> >nice guards would be on duty that day - there are some good ones  which just
> >proves to me that the bad ones don't have to be that way.  It is  possible to
> >hire and/or train good people.  It does piss me off too now  that I've begun
> >thinking how inacessible these beaches are.  It's
> >not right and I'm ashamed I didn't think of it more before but most people  I
> >know who have disabilities couldn't even get to the sand.
> >
> >Linda, I am working on a letter to your son.  It's hard for me not to  write
> >a really emotional letter, so I'm going slowly and editing so that
> >it's  short
> >and clear.  Thank you very much for the contact.
> >
> >Gosh, I want to thank every one.......... Kendall, I contacted the
> >disability comission and they've sent papers, but all they can do is
> >file an  informal
> >complaint.  I have a friend at PAI I'll talk to Thurs. And Ken,  I've already
> >called a law office because the only guy directly above the head of  the
> >lifeguards.........not hopeful.  Not at all.
> >
> >Deri - I like the insensitive moron theory!  I don't think it's a  labor
> >dispute though I do wonder if there is some internal problem.  A
> >few  years ago,
> >all the guards were totally cool.  I even know a kid with CP  whom
> >they used to
> >carry down to the beach because he was too big for his mom to  carry.  That
> >would flip these guys out now.
> >
> >Heather, Kat, Linda (maxaudio) and Meir - thanks for the  encouragement!!
> >I'm sorry to read about your incident Meir and I'm  glad you're ok.
> >
> >If there's someone I didn't mention, yell at me.  There's not one  email i
> >didn't appreciate.
> >
> >it's gotten me down because i have a lot to deal with (cp being the least  of
> >it at times).  i know a lot of people have lots to cope with so i'm no  big
> >deal, but i really needed one thing to be hassle free. now even the beach
> >seems complicated.
> >
> >i will let you all know what happens and thanks again for all your  support!
> >
> >susie
> >
> >
> >
> >************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at
> >http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour
> >
> >-----------------------
> >
> >To change your mail settings or leave the C-PALSY list, go here:
> >
> >http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?SUBED1=c-palsy
>
> -----------------------
>
> To change your mail settings or leave the C-PALSY list, go here:
>
> http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?SUBED1=c-palsy
>


-- 


Kendall

An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's redundant!)

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all
progress depends on the unreasonable man.

-George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950

-----------------------

To change your mail settings or leave the C-PALSY list, go here:

http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?SUBED1=c-palsy