Hans Bader writes here about a recent court decision supported by the Obama administration, that rewrites the Americans with Disabilities Act to mandate that New York taxis be altered so that they can accommodate people in wheel chairs.
The cost will be great and on-going (wheel chair adapted vehicles weigh substantially more and thus burn more fuel) and only a very small number of individuals will benefit by no longer having to arrange for wheelchair accessible transportation ahead of time — but costs and benefits don’t matter to egalitarian crusaders.