The costs are tangible, and easy to underestimate. The benefits are intangible and easy to overestimate. If we commit as a society to handicapped accessibility, it's a choice about values and morals, not about economics. Trying to frame accessibility as an economic benefit makes a laughingstock of the folks at Justice who wasted resources on this exercise.

I couldn't agree more! This is what happens when lawyers pretend they're economists. The mini-golf example is a perfect one to use to demonstrate the problems with this analysis: while the cost will be borne by all, the benefit goes to few. The inability (both structurally and legally) to price discriminate between those who benefit from the access and those who don't, means for accessibility to work, everyone must pay for the increased costs.

Many mini-golf businesses are likely near break-even. They spend a bunch of capital up front and then charge rents for a round of golf over time to pay for the capital. If they are already optimally priced (the price they charge generates the maximum amount of revenue possible) the new requirements will reduce their profits. If those profits fall below the cost to build and pay for a new mini-golf location, it either won't get built or will go out of business.

The weird means justification analysis Justice did is insulting. Why can't something be justified simply because it is "the right thing to do"??

I live near a rather nice go cart gof range and other nice sprots for alutls and children. the hotdog burger concession brings in alot of money. In my child education safety courses the well chiar ramps are muchsafer for everyone then fall off the edge to high concrete paths that trun many ankels. in additon many poeple like to rent carts to ride around in so this si also another well chair provision alrady handle. PRofits in the usa is what our economy runs on. But safety protects the buisness owners from lawsuit hungry crooks by providing very safe playground, golf courses, go cart rides and swimming areas . all a part of a normal summer day fun scene anywhere in the world that is the free world of economic freedom and not dictatorships such as cuba was and of course russia and germany but not now we hope. .