Dining Out Discrimination?

Ulterior Epicure (UE) sent me this New York Times article by Frank Bruni that discusses how accessibility can alter dining experiences for people with disabilities in New York restaurants. Bruni convincingly argues that sometimes accessibility solutions, like lifts with keys and accessible restrooms in a building next door, are so inconvenient they are discriminating. He concludes that even though accessibility is there, customers with disabilities aren’t treated as well as able-bodied customers because something as simple as getting into the restaurant to eat isn’t as easy as it should be.

The challenges mentioned in the article are common and translate nationwide. I’ve faced similar situations in Chicago. The funny thing is, I never think of my dining experiences as being different from anyone else’s. I took the freight elevator to the second floor of Dragonfly the other night, and as I navigated through the kitchen and around the cleaning supplies, I didn’t think about how I was missing out on the look and feel of the restaurant. I didn’t feel like I was being discriminated against. I was just pleased that there was an elevator.

When I explained this to UE he said: “Of course you don’t think about it like that. But aren’t you glad other people do?”