Monday, July 28, 2008

Just a little venting...

Let's talk briefly about the accommodations made for persons of physical disabilities. It is 2008 and I used to believe that this meant we understood what modifications needed to be made to accommodate people with a physical handicap. But apparently not! I realize that I am not confined to a wheelchair 24/7, I also realize that I have only been in this situation for 2 and a half weeks, but this experience has shown me a lot. Such as...doors. If their not an automatic door they suck! They are hard to open, close, their heavy and the door handle is too high. Next... bathrooms. I visited my favorite restaurant for my birthday The Yardhouse and was sad to find that their bathrooms were not at all handicap friendly. The entrance to the bathroom had this horrible rubber bumber on the ground that you had to get a rolling start to go over! The actual bathroom was spacious, however when you got to the sink the faucet was too far back and the soap dispenser was too high. I am a tall girl, with long limbs so if I say something was too high or too far back you know it's true. Lastly, curbs. They are the worst invention ever! I think everything should be level with the street. Curbs are horrible! Thank you for listening to my venting. I realize that this experience will pass, but for right now I am learning a lot!

3 comments:

Angie in AZ said...

And you forget about the places that put a dipped drain in the floor of the bathroom in the handicap stall! Duh! Wheels get stuck in them! I think that it should be required that at least one handicap person be included in every single public building plan, don't you?

Since I am hearing impaired, my pet peeve is that health insurance won't pay for my hearing aids... which are about $4,500. BUT, they will pay for my hospitalization if I am run over by an emergency vehicle all because I couldn't hear the sirens until they were running over me in the vehicle! Arghhhh... And the reality is that insurance really isn't paying for that either considering what we pay for health insurance for a family of a self employed person! OK, I'm done venting too.

I do, however, completely agree with you. My best friend has an auto-immune disease that affects her inner ear leaving her often with severe vertigo. She either has to use a quad cane or walker so I also am looking at public facilities, walk ways, etc... in a whole new light.

Laura said...

Your nursery looks beautiful! People with disabilities SHOULD be included in building planning! At least that's what the American's with Disabilities act says...

Nicole T said...

Ohh the woes of the handicapped.