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Accessibility 💚
Has anyone else noticed a decline in the handicap accessible world?
I sure have!
Here’s a few things I’ve noticed lately:
1. Handicap bathrooms out of order for a looonnnggggg time forcing us to use the “regular” stalls with no rails. I had a personal experience with this one. There were no rails or anything to help me up and I fell…. on tile…. with my pants around my ankles.
2. Snow, ice and slush has been pushed in the handicap parking spots, making it almost impossible to get out of the car without falling!
3. Those who aren’t disabled run in front of you and cut you off. I’ve been hit many times in my wheelchair with shopping carts.
4. The store scooters (for the days your own scooter didn’t charged) either have a dead battery or have been left out in the parking lot and nobody bothered to bring them in.
5. Many times the aisles in the store are too narrow for you to get through on your scooter. (*cough cough* Ross)
Anybody else faced these issues? Or similar ones? Do you ever get frustrated too?
Thanks! 💚
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1 Reply
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Laura, This is one of my pet peeve‘s and I have included anecdotes about this in my columns. I think the thing that angers me the most is the insensitivity of stadiums and public venues and places that should make it a big deal to be accessible to all. I have talked about the need for variety, for example having chairs and seating of different types and sizes and heights. At the beginning of my muscle loss I preferred chairs with arms. Now they are very difficult on my shoulders and I need something different. When I talk to people who manage these public values and volunteer my time to go through with them and make suggestions they refuse those offers and when I tell them some ideas that should be implemented I can tell they are not listening they are just getting their elevator speech ready to tell me all the great things they are doing for people with disabilities. Some of the things you mentioned are ridiculous and I have taken pictures with my phone and posted them on social media when for example someone blocks a disabled parking spot or something like that. We need to make it easier to report these kinds of things and have real repercussions.
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