Accessibility Irony

[greaterexp]

My sweet son and his girlfriend invited me to come for breakfast at one of their favorite restaurants to meets his girlfriend's parents. When I got there, I found out there was a tall flight of steps to get to the restaurant. I looked at the online information again and saw that the restaurant had wheelchair accessible restrooms, but one had to climb a lot of stairs to get to it!

I don't expect special treatment or accommodations; if someplace is not accessible, I just choose somewhere else to go. I'm thankfully still walking and was able to gradually get to the top of those stairs. But does it make sense to have wheelchair accessible restrooms when the building is inaccessible?

[Allen5280]

Absolutely not!!! I would most likely need to post a google review so that another whom may not be able would know ahead of time. I'm often asked, as a local guide, about accessibility to the places I visit and I always try to make sure I respond to the accessibility questions without fail. It is very important for those things to be accurate.

[falalalala]

Makes no sense.

I just passed on a bridal shower at a restaurant with the same BS.

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador]

Wow! I am noticing that many of my favorite places will no longer be accessible when I am no longer able to walk. Sad

[twooldcrows]

i am so sorry ....did you contact someone there about the stairs not listed on their web page ...

[greaterexp in reply to twooldcrows]

No, but I will!

[lbenmaor]

I am so sorry you had to see that. Unbelievable!!

Leslie

[Morllyn]

When we were looking for an apartment for our daughter, who has been in a wheelchair since she became to heavy to carry, we came up against similar situations.

The first was what was advertised as a handicapped accessible apartment, with a 3 foot wide front entrance but a narrower hallway. I asked how my daughter would get to the bedroom and the manager said “the main entrance door is 3 ft. wide!”

The second we’re older apartments, and I was pretty sure that they didn’t have wheelchair accessible apartments but we had been looking for so long that I decided to stop by and ask. I went into the office and asked the manager if they had any “wheelchair accessible apartments “ and as she was saying that she “didn’t think so” the maintenance man came in. He must have heard what I had asked because he looked at the manager and said “how about the one on the second floor?” I was confused because I had seen stair cases going up to the second floor and no elevators! I said to the maintenance man “you must have misunderstood because I asked about a wheelchair accessible apartment “ to which he said “yea, on the second floor “. I told him that I was confused and asked if there was an elevator going to the second floor and he said no. Then I explained that my daughter was in a wheelchair and couldn’t walk or stand at all! The manager said “So you don’t want it?” I just walked out.😳

[Cutefreckles72]

Sorry you had to go thru that. That's crazy. All buildings now should be accessible to everyone regardless if you can walk or not. One floor or 50 floors, accessibility should not be a problem for anyone. Give us a ramp, elevator something.

[greaterexp in reply to Cutefreckles72]

If my darling husband had been there, I would have been slung over his shoulder and given a ride up. I'm relieved that I could climb on my own!

It does surprise me that we have all these laws about wheelchair accessible restrooms, but none about getting to the restroom to begin with. It would be nice if restaurants would post accessibility on their websites, at least.

[Cutefreckles72]

I know about having a darling husband, mine would have done the same thing too. Glad you were able to climb but that's not right. Businesses need to do better.

[Peruzzot]

I moved because the apartment I was living in was on the 3rd floor and no elevator. The guy that lived across the breezeway told me that all the ADA apartments are on the ground floor. Ya that's nice. I live here on the 3rd floor if I ever want to invite family or friends over who have issues with stairs can never come over unless I get a crew to carry them and their equipment up and then down the stairs. A light bulb suddenly came on over his face. But it got so bad for me that my legs felt like rubber with each flight. I had stop and rest on the landing for each floor. I wasn't winded, my legs just felt like I had just finished a marathon. I now live in a ground floor apartment but still isn't wheelchair compliant. The doors aren't wide enough and I have to use a step ladder to reach shelves in the kitchen and I'm 5'6". Which is considered above average height for women. Anyone in a wheelchair would barely be able to see above the countertop. I tried using a kitchen chair so that I could chop up veggies for dinner. My legs were just too tired to stand any longer at the end of the day. Today I just bought an electric food chopper that is perfect for just a serving or 2. Rather than having pull out the giant version food processor that is intended for serving a large family. I'm looking forward to trying it out tomorrow. Going to play team trivia tonight with friends.

[Juleigh21]

That’s just stupid.....

[Texandyroe]

Wow! No sense at all!

[MarkUpnorth]

But, if you had rang the bell in the alley, someone would have tossed a rope out the window. Just tie it around your waist...and they hoist you up?

[greaterexp in reply to MarkUpnorth]

Brilliant! I'll try that if I encounter the same problem again.

[pamgarner]

it is one of those things,everybody should be disabled for just an hour, things would change.who thinks of those things? I hope breakfast made up for that disappointment

[greaterexp in reply to pamgarner]

Did you see the video that was circulating recently in which a restaurant made changes to their place to simulate a few symptoms of MS, so people coming in could get just a taste of what it's like? They made the counter move, the menu screen blurry, and the chairs extra heavy. Great idea to raise awareness.

[mrsmike9 in reply to greaterexp]

I saw that. It was great! I want to send my husband there.

[rfbossbabe in reply to greaterexp]

I saw that a long time ago. Do you know where I can find it?

[greaterexp in reply to rfbossbabe]

youtube.com/watch?v=iBfz2gs...(Not working as expected?)

[pamgarner in reply to greaterexp]

I did see that,that would have been great when I was newly diagnosed,I'd know what to expect!

[CrazyCatWom in reply to pamgarner]

Especially politicians--the ones on our city councils and state legisltors!

[CrazyCatWom]

That is an example of doing just what is required by law. adA says the bathrooms must be accessable. It doesn't really say anything about the route TO the bathroom. Some states may have added requirements, but not every state.

[greaterexp in reply to CrazyCatWom]

You're so right. I hate to further burden restaurants, which usually have a slim profit margin, but here's one thing I should look into to see if new buildings must be wheelchair accessible, as well as have ADA restrooms.

[mrsmike9]

Talk about an oxymoron! Sounds like they're advertising as ADA compliant but are NOT!

[hairbrain4]

It really is crazy. I was just on a committee at church to retrofit the bathrooms and entrances to be handicap accessible. The building was built in the late 50's. The ADA say that entrances, doors have to be handicap accessible but no ramps etc. Same for the bathrooms. Whoever wrote the requirements must have been from another planet.

[greaterexp in reply to hairbrain4]

Wouldn't it be great if all these lawmakers and planners and architects had to live in a wheelchair for at least a week and go everywhere they normally do?

[stepsforNeeC]

Excellent point! I had a somewhat similiar spin of a situation yesterday. I was sitting in the passenger seat of my SUV ( oppps...yes, waiting on handicap sticker ) and a Parking Authority Attendant came up and told me I was "too" close to handicap parking. I told her my hubby ran into the office directly accross street and coming out.... apolozied showed my Stated issed Medicare then shared sorry I have MS and unable drive it. Her response "so, I'm walking away he better hurry up." This is the mindset of how people think and view our situation through their lens,it saddens me, but God and prayers have to do the work!

Blessings

NeeC

[greaterexp in reply to stepsforNeeC]

That's too bad. I know that person was "just doing their job," but she needs to have a heart and understand the spirit of the law as opposed to the letter of the law.

[stepsforNeeC in reply to greaterexp]

Absolutely!

Blessings

NeeC

[kdali]

Wow, that’s crazy!!