On June 23, members of the American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today picketed Subway and China Night Cafe restaurants in the Little Italy area of Chicago, protesting their lack of accessibility to the disabled and denial of the basic human right to eat. ADAPT spokesperson Jeremiah O’dell stated, “We don’t want separate rights, just equal rights.”
The 15 to 20 activists gathered there chanted, “Access! Access! We want access,” “Access is a civil right,” and, while blocking entrances of the cafes at the height of the action, “Business as usual, not going to happen!” Managers at both cafes agreed to install ramps at their entrances.
Most of the activists were youths from out of town, being introduced to radical action by an ADAPT-sponsored Youth Summit held from June 20 to June 23.
