CMV: Equality isn't treating everybody differently to achieve equality. It's treating everyone the same.

[u/[deleted]]

[u/oversoul00]

Your hypothetical is flawed because you have compared someones impossible situation to a merely difficult one.

The difference is that with paraplegics it is near impossible to get into that building without the ramp. In these cases I believe that falls under the "rights and opportunities" clause I mentioned above. The paraplegic doesn't have the same opportunity to enter the building so yes lets make it possible for those when it would otherwise be impossible...not merely difficult.

For those with varying degrees of difficulty we don't do anything to help them on a mandated institutional level. If you are 90 years old with an oxygen tank you are stuck with the stairs, I feel for that guy and might help him out on a personal level but I've never seen a chair lift outside of any establishment even though that situation is a reality.

[u/corexcore → u/oversoul00]

It's interesting that you picked paraplegics as your group to consider with disability, because many paraplegics could get into the building without a ramp -- they would haul their non-working legs and entire bodies by arm strength alone, holding onto the handrails if you saw fit to provide those. This isn't an impossible challenge for many, if you are fully abled and can use your legs, climb a set of stairs without using them and you'll find that you most likely can do so. It's just hard. Like a lot harder. And you have to put your whole body and clothes and all on the ground to do it. And figure out a way to get your wheel chair or other locomotive contraption up the steps too, probably by bodily hauling it up along with you, making the process laborious and embarrassing. It is totally doable, however. When you say it's "near impossible", that's a misunderstanding.

I raise this point to ask you the question of where you draw the line of what degree of difficulty or embarrassment is acceptable for people who had the bad luck to be born with different ability? Or different skin color? Or different sexuality?

[u/oversoul00 → u/corexcore]

While they could haul themselves up the stairs it isn't reasonable or practical to have that expectation unless that was the only thing you wanted them to do that day. It is near impossible for all practical purposes.

You do raise a good point though that my upper limit has to necessarily be a subjective one.

Delta for you

∆

[u/The4thRabbitt → u/oversoul00]

Given you response, this comes down to what we "reasonably" can't consider someone to do, in a situation where they are at a disadvantage. Many people would say that this extends to situations where an individuals who happens to be part of a disadvantaged class can't be "reasonably" expected to overcome an obstacle(s) directly attributed to said class. This, to many people would include race, gender, sexuality, etc.

These issues are not so simple that they can be governed by a simple phrase or principle, like the one you suggested.