ACCESSIBILITY...

Obviously being in a wheelchair raises the issue of accessibility to places; sometimes in expected ways and places and sometimes not. My parents live in an old house with high ceilings and extra wide doors. So, I was surprised to learn that my wheelchair will not fit through standard size interior doors. I keep thinking that the people who sold me the chair should have mentioned, "oh, by the way you won't be able to fit through most doorways". It would've been nice to know. Sometimes this issue is only with bathroom doors, which is problematic to say the least. I recently realized I won't be able to attend a shower for a dear friend due to an odd combination of stairs on one side and a too skinny bathroom door on the other side of the house where it is being given. Couple that with a crowd and August heat in Georgia and I'm sure you can see my predicament.


Then there is the day last week when I went out to lunch with an old friend. I was braced for the place to have an inaccessible bathroom and prepared to give the "you know you are not in compliance with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act" speech. Lucky for me and for them their bathroom was accessible. Unfortunately, they had placed three iron and vinyl chairs in front of the toilet in a line...like they were expecting a small crowd in the bathroom to watch someone use the bathroom. Needless to say, my friend had to move the chairs out of the bathroom so that I could get to the toilet. Each time she moved them and I used the bathroom, someone from the restaurant would rush over and put them back in. It was a very small restaurant and I was in a wheelchair. So, it must have been obvious what was going on. 


The most surprising access problem I have experienced occurred several months ago when my Mom was in the hospital for a week or so. Not only could I not fit through the bathroom door in her hospital room but I tried two other bathrooms on her hall and couldn't fit in those either. Meaning, I would have to go from the sixth floor down to the first floor of the hospital to use the bathroom. Ridiculous and unacceptable for a hospital, don't you think? I should have complained but I guess I was just too shocked...