Dear Anita -

This is something that should be brought to the attention of your state senator and representative/assemblyman/woman, as well as the chairs and staff directors of what may be loosely referred to as the Committees on Health and Public Safety of both legislative bodies.

For more resources, see/contact the following organizations, among others:

American Pain Federation http://www.painfoundation.org/

RSDSA (ask for Jim Broatch) http://www.rsds.org/index2.html

University of Wisconsin - Pain & Policy Studies Group http://www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/ And here's their contact link http://www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/contact.htm They are highly knowledgeable and I've found them perfectly willing to talk to me about difficult public policy issues involving pain medication: and this one certainly qualifies.

And if you really feel steamed about this (as you should) contact the local affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) http://www.aclu.org/affiliates to see if they might be interested in filing suit on your behalf, presumably in federal court, at no expense to you: ask to speak to a staff attorney. In the same vein, check out the Disability Rights Advocates:

Disability Rights Advocates focuses on high impact-litigation to protect the civil rights of people with all kinds of disabilities throughout the nation. DRA represents people with disabilities in over 50 active cases, most of which focus on public accommodations and services, education and employment rights, health care access, high stakes testing and other key activities of mainstream life. The following areas are the most representative of DRA's work to protect the rights of people with disabilities and ensure their full participation and opportunities. . .

http://www.dralegal.org/cases/index.php And see http://www.dralegal.org/cases/public_entities/index.php for a list of the transportation related cases they have handled.

God's speed.

Mike


PS Something in my bones says that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and its district courts, which include Delaware, may be an attractive place to bring litigation on your behalf. But a word to the wise: no such action could probably be brought in federal court - on your behalf - after you received a citation under the statute.