Recently in Accessibility Category

If my friends want to do something that is inaccessible, should they invite me to go too, or is it better if they don’t mention it at all? Should they feel like they have to include me in everything? Is it right for me to expect them to? I was recently reminded how tricky these situations can be and started thinking about how to handle them. Here are some good rules of thumb:

Think Ahead. If you’re inviting a whole group of people to do an activity that is inaccessible and you want to invite someone with a disability, go ahead. But before you do, it is important to think through ways in which the person might be included. If you’re going ice skating for example, see if there is a place for the person to sit, watch the action, and sip hot chocolate. That way, they are included without really having to participate. And be upfront about what’s possible. That way the person is not surprised and can make a good choice about whether or not to attend. Nine times out of ten, it is better to be asked and have to say no than not to be asked at all.

Be Flexible. If you are going to invite a person with a disability, be prepared to modify the plans a bit to accommodate for them. You shouldn’t have to change everything, but understand that some accommodation needs to be made, even if it’s just making sure there is a place to sit. If you’re not willing to be flexible, or to plan ahead, this is when you shouldn’t invite the person in the first place.

Be Honest. Sometimes you won’t want to exchange ringside seats for accessible ones that are a mile away. Who would? If this is the case, be honest. Don’t make your friend with a disability guess what you’re thinking. It’s rude and a little mean to be secretive or not to speak up. You don’t have to include everyone all of the time. So don’t offer half-assed invitations.

Be Realistic. As a person with a disability, it is wrong to think that inclusion means everyone gets to do everything all of the time. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), we don’t live in that world. Do everything you can to be proactive, to challenge yourself, to participate, but know that you’ll still have to sit a few out. And it’s up to you to deal with that, and let people know that it’s okay by you.

Do you have any thoughts on this? I’d like to hear what you think.

There is a guy who lives in my apartment building who is deaf. And apparently he uses an alarm clock that sounds like an air-raid siren. It unfailingly wakes up his downstairs neighbor.

“It’s no big deal when he turns it right off,” said the neighbor. “But when he stays at his girlfriend’s place on the weekends and forgets to switch it off, it blasts for hours!”

I’m guilty of a similar transgression. My walker makes a horrible scrapping noise on my hardwood floors, and once upon a time my downstairs neighbor left me a strongly worded note asking me to PLEASE stop moving my furniture around at night. She was mortified when she discovered it was my walker making that sound. But I’m so glad she said something to me.

Accommodations for people with disabilities are necessary and good. But it’s important to be aware of how they may impact others. Now I avoid using my walker at night.

There are two seasons in Chicago... winter and construction. Construction downtown is so “efficient” right now that I can’t wait until it’s over.

That’s because the city keeps redoing curb cuts. This is a good thing, but the approach is flawed.

I came out of a building last week to discover that I was literally stranded. The curb cuts had been ripped out on three corners of the block while I’d been inside, and the ones on the fourth corner flanked a street that was being resurfaced, so there was a foot-long drop between the curb and the street.

I had no choice but to catch a cab. Good thing I had money. Wheeling to Walgreens to get cash was impossible even though it was roughly twenty feet away.

The new curb cuts will be great when they’re done, and I do appreciate that. Especially since winter is coming. But it’s obvious somebody didn’t think through the impact of ripping out several curb cuts at the same time.

This project has been going on for about a month, and it’s making wheeling down the street an adventure. The curb cuts are being redone within a day or two, so it’s not worth calling an alderman. But just when I get a good route mapped out, another curb cut is torn up, and I have to start all over. I’ve had to wheel at least three blocks out of my way everyday for the past 10 days because the landscape changes so often. It’s an urban jungle out there.

The girls and I road tripped to Door County Wisconsin last weekend to enjoy the fall colors, see cows, and eat cherry pie. Turns out that Door County is not only THE place to go for cherry bliss, but it’s also surprisingly accessible.

Accessible accommodations and activities are detailed on the Door County Web site and are easily searchable, which makes trip planning a cinch. And the access promised is delivered.

The Feathered Star Bed and Breakfast, for example, is barrier free, which means that the whole place is accessible. All six guest rooms are on the main floor and are well laid out. The wheel-in showers don’t leave an inch deep puddle on the bathroom floor when you turn the water on, although they aren’t totally leak free. The rooms that have bathtubs instead of showers have built in shower seats. And all of the rooms are big enough to wheel around easily without sacrificing the quaintness one would expect from a B&B. Dogs are allowed, and service dogs stay for free.

The innkeeper, an occupational therapist who has personal experience with disability, has made a real effort here, and it’s fantastic! So nice to see.

I only have one accessibility related suggestion—add full-length mirrors on the back of the bathroom doors.

Some might say it’s handy to have a knack for gambling in Las Vegas. But I say it’s even handier to be able to ride escalators in a wheelchair.

It’s nearly impossible these days to cross the street on the street-level along the strip. Instead, a network of bridges connects the hotels above street-level. I’m sure this system keeps revelers from haphazardly staggering into oncoming traffic and safely steers them right into the casinos. But finding elevator access to each bridge can be a bit of a maze, and the elevators are really hot and slow.

That’s where riding up escalators comes in! If you’re in a manual chair, simply grab on to the moving rail on each side, and let the escalator pull you into place. Make sure you have a good grip, and then hang on for the ride. Going down an escalator involves the same process, but you have to go down backwards.

I don’t have to put disclaimers on this entry, do I? Like don’t try this at home? Or always make sure a friend stands behind you? Because you are all responsible people, right? Maybe I’ll just fall back on a cliché and say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

One of the things I like about Wrigley Field is that bars with rooftop decks surround it. The only things surrounding newer ballparks are parking lots, and as functional they are, asphalt and neon lighting is far from charming. I like that the home of the Cubs is nestled in a neighborhood, and that you can watch the game and have a beer without having to buy a ticket.

I’ve never been on a Wrigley rooftop myself as much as I like the thought of them. Apparently, there is one rooftop bar with an elevator. And I intend to find it one of these days. Until then, I hear that another rooftop bar is working around accessibility in a “creative” way.

“You’ll never believe it!” Caryn reported to me last week in a voicemail message. “I was just at a Wrigley rooftop party and the place had a beautiful accessible restroom. So I went and asked the owner where the elevator was. He told me the only elevator was to ‘elevate’ one foot above the other on the stairs!”

I truly appreciate Caryn’s outrage on my behalf. But I’m not remotely surprised or outraged. Such places are rarely accessible. And that accessible restroom? It’s probably the owner’s way of complying with ADA without having to remodel his entire place. I’m not saying it’s right, just that the law has loopholes in it the size of Texas.

And I’m sure the bars on the wall in the restroom come in handy for tipsy customers trying to take care of business!

For now, I content myself with the thought of finding the one rooftop bar with an elevator. Hopefully it’s not an urban myth.

This ramp at Otom is placed over the stairs. Adobo Grill has a similar setup.

I went to Adobo Grill last night for dinner. Metromix says it’s handicapped accessible. In this case, that means an accommodating waiter puts a ramp over the stairs.

I usually surf Metromix to make sure a restaurant or bar is wheelchair friendly before I go there, especially if I’m on my own. Most of the time the site’s brief description tells me what I need to know but not always.

Adobo Grill and Karyn’s Cooked are both listed as accessible, but there are stairs to get into the restaurants. And Otom is listed as inaccessible for the same reason. But at Otom there is a nice portable ramp that can be set up upon request. All three places have accessible restrooms. So the differences in accessibility reports are a mystery. Or maybe a mistake? Who knows.

Obviously definitions of accessibility vary wildly. So what does "accessible" really mean?

For me, if there’s a ramp in back and I can get in and out on my own, that’s accessible enough. I don’t have to go in the front door, and I don’t mind cutting through the kitchen. (It’s always interesting to get a sneak preview of what’s being served anyway!)

And If I can navigate the garish angle of a board laid over a few stairs without killing myself, that’s accessible too. I’d like to have a friend along to spot me if I try it though.

In the end, accessibility is as much about good advance communication as it is about the physical set-up of a place.

My friend Dave, for example, took pictures of the stairs and hand railings at his walk-up before he bought it.

“Can you get up and down these stairs?” he asked, showing me the photos. “Because if I buy this place, I want you to be able to spend time there.”

I was flattered and floored that he had really thought it through. Stairs or not, his condo is one of the most accessible I’ve known.