To the editor:

I am writing as a member of the Access Task Force at Independence Inc. regarding plans of the Lawrence Sustainability Advisory Board to consider a disposable plastics ban. Please note that people with disabilities are as concerned about the environment as nondisabled people are. However, we advocate that plastic straws be exempt from a ban.

Many of us rely on plastic straws to enjoy a beverage in a restaurant. As a person with quadriplegia, I am unable to hold a glass or cup in order to drink from it. Others with disabilities such as cerebral palsy may not be able to use paper or metal straws because they may bite through them, burn themselves or chip a tooth. Reusable straws made from other materials are not the solution. Many of us are unable to clean and store them independently, and typically we have limited personal care assistance available to accomplish that task.

Many types of single-use plastics can be eliminated without impacting any group so severely. A reasonable policy would be to exempt plastic straws from the ban, but encourage businesses to provide them only on request, as is already done in some establishments.

Plastic straws make up a relatively small percentage of the plastic pollution. Let’s focus on items like plastic bags and disposable water bottles that create more waste.

Most importantly, please don’t make regulations based on what a nondisabled person can do easily. Rather, consider what those of us with disabilities have difficulty doing every day, as we live our lives with perseverance and dignity.

Dustin Thorne,

Lawrence