The national straw debate has excluded people with disabilities
By: Jenny Mades
December 3, 2019
Source: Jenny Mades
In 2019, “saving the turtles” is the main focus of the national straw debate. In fact, the topic of plastic straw pollution has gone hand in hand with marine life ever since a video of a turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose went viral back in 2015. The general argument, put simply, is that if you care about the environment and want to protect marine life, you should want to eliminate plastic straws. For most people, this movement is easy to support. A straw is something that is simple to stop using, and therefore eliminating straws is not too drastic of a change. Unfortunately, the public’s push to eliminate straws has alienated those who need to use straws in order to drink.
History of the Debate
The push to eliminate straws has become massive over the past five years. According to National Geographic, the growing list of companies phasing out plastic straws most notably includes Starbucks, Hyatt, Ikea, Sea World, Royal Caribbean and McDonald’s. The graphic to the left demonstrates that along with several major companies, many US cities have banned plastic straws. On an even larger scale, entire states such as Hawaii and California are considering statewide bans. According to NPR, some of these bans do include a waiver for businesses that states they can provide plastic straws for people that need them, however, very few businesses are actually aware of the exemption. Although pollution from single use plastics is a serious issue, completely eliminating them is causing harm to a group of people who have been repeatedly left out of the national debate; people with physical disabilities.
Source: Jenny Mades
The Effect on the Disabled Community
According to the US Center for Disease Control, 3.7% of US adults have a self care functional disability. This means that their disability affects how they feed, dress, and bathe themselves. People with these kinds of disabilities use straws to help them drink because they may find it difficult to lift an open cup to their mouths. Those with limited mobility or lack of control in their hands, arms, and head require straws in order to drink without spilling. In these cases, having access to straws allows these individuals to uphold their dignity.
Many have argued that alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, metal or glass are adequate replacements for plastic straws for people with disabilities, however, this is not the case. There are several reasons why alternatives to plastic straws are issues to those with disabilities. For instance, people with a lack of jaw control tend to bite down on straws when drinking, so paper straws which disintegrate quickly when under any pressure are not useful. Metal and glass reusable straws are a burden to carry around and difficult to clean. For someone with a disability, specifically with a disability that affects his or her hand usage, cleaning straws is a major burden. Finally, one very important aspect of plastic straws that is helpful for those with disabilities is bendability. Most plastic straws have a ribbed section that allows the straw to bend at an angle. This angle makes it so much easier for people with disabilities to drink since they do not have to move the cup up as far to bring it to their mouths.
It is important to realize that there are real people affected by straw bans. Take for instance, Christopher Mades, who has physical disabilities that affect his legs and arms which makes it difficult for him to lift an open cup. He lives with his mother and father in Hampstead, a North Carolina town located just along the coast. According to Christopher’s mother Tammy, “being so close to the ocean, the plastic straw argument feels amplified.” She describes seeing signs in several restaurants with messages such as “We skip the straw”, “Save the waves” and “Say no to straws”. Even when asking for straws, waitstaff are quick to inquire if one is truly necessary, and Tammy is forced to argue for her son. Christopher describes the experience from his perspective, “I just want to have a normal experience when I go out to eat. It can be embarrassing when restaurants take away something I need and then when my family asks for one, they have to convince them that I need it.”
Watch the video to hear more about straws from Christopher’s perspective:
A Good Compromise
Single use plastics are undoubtedly a major issue. It is estimated that about eight million tons of plastic flow into the ocean every year, and according to EcoCycle, about 200 million plastic straws are used by Americans daily. Although that number seems huge, it is important to note that straws make up only .025 percent of that eight million tons of plastic. The focus on only banning plastic straws is dangerous because it shifts the public’s focus on the issue of single use plastics in general. The solution is not to completely ban one item, but instead to reduce the use of all single use plastics.
One way to reduce single use plastics such as straws without completely getting rid of them is through straw upon-request laws. Complete straw bans advise strongly against restaurants handing out straws, while straw upon-request laws are much more lenient and decrease straw use by allowing restaurants to ask customers if they would like a straw before providing one. As the graphic to the right indicates, straw bans are very strict and do not take into account the needs of people with disabilities. On the other hand, straw-upon-request laws still help businesses and consumers to limit plastic consumption, but in a way that does not deprive people with disabilities of a necessity.
Source: Jenny Mades
In the end, people with disabilities deserve to be part of the plastic straw debate and deserve to have their voices heard. These are real people who require things that many able-bodied people take for granted. Sure, the sea turtles are important, but what is more important is ensuring the solution to decreasing plastic consumption takes into account both the sea turtles and fellow humans in need.