In the midst of a big research project I’ve been doing on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, I happened to come accross the Department of Justice’s 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. It is the single most insane official document I have ever seen.*You know you're on the road to serfdom when a cripple PEES IN THE STALL NEXT TO YOU.
New and altered dwelling units have to have kitchens and bathrooms five feet wide, with expansive kitchen countertops. (I immediately wondered how on earth New Yorkers of the future will be able to afford their rent, just to provide access that might not be needed once in a hundred years). The regulations on recreational boat slips and pools seem almost intentioanlly absurd. But by the time you get to the mandates for mini-golf courses, it’s not so funny anymore. If you’re already having a bad day, you probably should not look at this document, especially if you have ever read Friedrich Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom (1944).
*It may be worth noting that Mario Loyola served at the Pentagon under Doug Feith and must have some basis for comparison.
