I'd just like to make a comment about the cost not only to the person with disabilities. We certainly feel that is really important, but we often forget about the parent of a child who is at home with significant impairments, and what happens if the mother or father has to make arrangements to go down the street to get that child or to get that child dressed and put into a wheelchair to get the mail. On a day like today I think those are some of the issues.
One of the things Bob and I are aware of in the disability community is that if there is going to be a system that designates whether mail delivery is to these communal boxes or to a home specific to people with disabilities, often people with disabilities have to go about proving their impairment to authorities. That will add an extra cost somewhere along the line. It could include a cost to health care, because as Bob well knows, even to get a bus pass you have to see a doctor to confirm that you are disabled. I work at a university and the students with disabilities often have to see physicians to get letters of permission to do this, that, and the next thing. So there are a lot of extra hidden costs besides the human cost.
Your point is well taken about the lack of accessibility. We're very concerned that it will not only cause further exclusion—Bob and I have been thinking about this and doing this for over 30 years—but that any step to minimize inclusion will also create a barrier.
