How often over the past decade I've run into access issues, only to be told in the same breath how wonderful a law the ADA is. It's as if there's a cue card held up in the background that people read off when confronted with the reality of lack of access that still exists.
It's become a mantra. I wonder if I'm dealing with pod people sometimes. Scary.
Here's how it goes:
Me: "So you mean there's no way for me to get into the (insert word here) department of your store because the aisles are so crowded ?
Store Manager: "Well, not at this time. We're working on it. But at least you can get inside. We have a ramp- all these great changes under the ADA!"
Me: "Why is your handicapped restroom locked? I need to use it."
Clerk: "There are four other stalls. Use one of those."
Me: "I can't fit in those - I need a handicapped stall."
Clerk: "It's broken. I don't know what to say. But we have one. Isn't it great that we put one in-?"
Me: "I know - under the ADA."
You get the idea.
The inconvenient truth here is that unless accessible facilities, like restrooms, ramps and curbcuts, are maintained properly, they aren't of any use. Moreover, a store can have a ramp but keep its aisles so crowded that wheelchairs can't get through them.
It's not just about making a one time change, such as adding a ramp, but an ongoing responsibility to make places accessible and keep them that way.
3 comments:
Very true.
Yes, VERY true.
And as a side note, I think you should enlist MOMS WITH STROLLERS to help drive this point home. If a stroller can't fit (and often they can't) NO WAY can a wheelchair get in there! Back in my stroller-pushing days I often wondered how someone in a wheelchair could shop in certain stores when I could barely manage it.
Good idea Barb! We should do a national event on Saturday mornings in malls - there are quite a few department stores (not even mom and pop places) that still don't have compliance...as you probably noticed with the stroller...
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