What the hell, I wade into the pit…
First of all, if ADA-requirements are built in the DESIGN of a building, before the first brick is laid or the first 2x4 nailed, the cost is (I’m told) not that much different from non-ADA construction. Note this must all be done BEFORE you start building.
It costs far more to modify a doorway to 32" than to build it in that way from the start.
And ADA is NOT just about people in wheel chairs. Old folks who can still walk but aren’t so steady on their feet will also find curb-cuts useful, too. There’s a particular type of heel fracture most commonly caused by stepping down, say from a traditional curb, and curb-cuts reduce the incidence of those, too, thereby keeping the able-bodied able bodied. Yes, the zeal to comply can be taken to excess, but when you replace a sidewalk (as must inevitably happen) replacing it with a curb-cut isn’t going to hurt anyone.
We’re all so used to seeing clumby retro-fits that we DON’T see the ADA-compliant buildings that were designed that way and don’t look clumsy.
Ever notice how hotel bathrooms are now sporting grab-bars in the showers and tubs? That’s ADA, but why should that stress you out? I’m able-bodied but I find having an extra bar to grab keeps me steadier, too - and bathroom falls can be serious for anyone. I’ve also seen hotel bathrooms with “shower stools” - little stools that can be sat on in the shower if you need that, or just become a handy place to stack your PJ’s while you’re bathing if you don’t need it.
Maybe I won’t ever need an ADA living area - but I have disabled relatives I’d like to see occassionally, and I’d like them to be able to come and go on their own.
A house with steps at one entrace and a grade-level entryway at another is ADA compliant, too. You only need a wheelchair ramp if both entrances have steps.
It all reminds me of the historical protests when the Chicago housing code required buildings of brick instead of wood (nasty thing, that fire…), insisted that all dwellings have TWO entry/exists, and also that all rooms where people might live (everything except closets and bathrooms) have access to air and light through a window. Now, no one thinks much, if at all, about these requirements. Buildings are designed that way from the get go, and if they weren’t folks would probably protest.
Should private citizens be forced to make new construction ADA compliant? Should they be forced to adhere to any building code? In urban areas, at least, people do not stay in a house for generations anymore - even if you build it you probably won’t keep it for life. That’s different than if you build it and keep it til you die. Why should I, the second owner, have to pay to fix the deficiencies of you, the builder? Especially when it’s much cheaper to do all this from the start instead of modifying later.
Truthfully, I have mixed feelings on this one, but I think the folks who are assuming they won’t ever need the ADA are sticking their heads in the sand. Maybe they won’t - but more and more people are living long enough to find their physical abilities restricted. And even among the young, it only takes one accident to put you among the no-longer-able-bodied.