But They Said it Was “Accessible"

So yesterday was officially 3 months that the blog has been up. The Facebook page has only been up a few days but at the end of yesterday, we had 887 page views on the actual blog and 54 likes on the Facebook page reaching an outstanding 607 people. It is amazing what 3 months of my writing have produced. I have had help from so many people. Emily Ekstrand, Kelsey Waltz, and Haley Larson. I’ve also had help from a great T.V. show called My Gimpy Life. It is this show and certain life events that inspired me to start writing again. Here’s to more success for the Voiceless Minority as we move forward! However, with all that success and cause for celebration, there are still many issues that need to be addressed.

       As I have written before, the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law in the summer of 1990. I will not rehash it again what exactly the act covered (if you would like information on that either visit “ada.gov” or my previous blogs). I simply mention the act here because its 23^rd birthday is coming up on the 26^th of July. When I recently asked the question on our Facebook page about whether anyone had future ideas for blogs this response came up…

       Joe Peet commented on July 6^th and he recommended a blog on “real-time access.” Now for those of you who are new to the disability advocacy fight and I do call it a fight. Real-Time Access is an interesting concept. The idea provides us (the disability community) access to things on paper. What it does not do is clearly defined how that access should be presented. Instead, the language is left broad and ambiguous. In short, the language leaves the decision up to human intuition or interpretation. This is all well and good but I think the idea forgot one very important point to consider. The developers of buildings and producers of products, for the most part, aren’t disabled because we are rarely given opportunities to pursue everyday jobs. That being said, what the majority the able-bodied people consider accessible, oftentimes is not. I don’t mean to offend a majority of readers but I’m just being honest. I will give several examples to demonstrate my point. Some of these examples are my own and some come from others.

       As I have said numerous times, I go to a school in the North Western part of Pennsylvania and that school has its flaws like every other school, but it tries to build itself as one of the most handicapped friendly schools, not only in the area but also in the country. Nothing against that school as they are the institution that will grant me my Master’s Degree in December if all goes well. However, I need to suggest a few things. As far as being accessible, most of the campus is, but crucial portions need to be fixed i.e. the giant cracks in the sidewalks that some power chairs and I’m sure manual chairs have trouble navigating over or around. How is it possible the school can spend money on new dorms but not fix their existing sidewalks to make them easy for a large portion of your population? Also, another issue that is prevalent on campus but is also a cross-venue the issue is the placement of the automatic door and elevator buttons.

I have a tremendous fear of elevators. Yes, I said it. Even though I use them any time I want to go anywhere above the first floor. I absolutely hate them. I don’t know why but I think claustrophobia is genetic or something—no, not really, but thanks, mom! Anyway, one of my biggest pet peeves is not having uniformed elevator buttons either in height or type. I am very short when sitting in my power chair. If I were to stand up straight, which rarely happens, the doctors say I would be 5’10. However, that doesn’t help me when I’m sitting down. There are two buildings in particular that I have in mind when I talk about the elevator button placement and height. One building s a good example and one building absolutely sucks.

       The first building has an elevator button cutout where the button protrudes from the wall and is one of the more conventional buttons you see in medical facilities and hospitals. It, in this case, is white and it is raised off the cutout a little bit. I have very limited hand mobility but even I can press this button by myself. If that wasn’t awesome enough, when I get into the elevator I can even select what floor I want to go to by myself. Sadly, this awesome elevator design is very rare on campus and in real life. At least in places that you need to go on a regular basis and not just when you’re sick.

       The other a building that I mentioned before has a button and it is placed in an area, which only the tallest disabled people can reach. Granted, like I said, I have very limited movement in my hands but there are very few people that I know who can use this button by themselves. There are those in manual wheelchairs who have more mobility than I do who are capable but even some of them struggle. The button is set into the wall and does not protrude from the cutout. I have seen this type of design in many places—movies theaters, Dave & Busters, local malls, and etc. I have a question for developers. Why in the world are these buttons in use still? Maybe I’m being too narrow-minded but, does everyone in the world think that disabled people always travel around with an aide who can push the button for them? The sad fact in my experience is that most people do believe that. As I have said as recently as the “Hey, down here!” blog we desire our independence too. If elevator buttons aren’t where we can use them they are useless.

       Another issue that I’ve seen which is a cross-venue issue is the placement of automatic door buttons. For those who are unaware (and I only mention this because the blog reaches international audiences now and some of you might not have an automatic door) but automatic doors can open with the push of a button which makes it easier for people who are slower or with wheelchairs to enter. There are several types of automatic door buttons but what I don’t understand again is why is there not a uniform type of automatic door button? Maybe it is, with the simple fact that, nobody consulted disabled people when they were designing them. However, I think we should start a focus group and ask disabled people how long on average does it take someone in a manual chair vs. someone in a power chair how long it takes to get through a door. Take the happy median and then set the button time for that! Also in that focus group maybe we could ask disabled people what types of buttons are easier for them to operate? I prefer the round, grey, metallic ones that are offset from their cutout. I hate the ones at my campus library (which some of my able-bodied friends have trouble pressing). Finally, before I move on to a new topic let me express one major complaint. What is it with the placement of automatic door buttons?! I am not kidding. I have seen buttons placed behind where the door opens at i.e. my campus library. Or below an average wheelchair height. Not to offend short people, but we are not ALL so short that you have to put the button by our knees. Enough with that rant. Let me get to an even more disconcerting issue.

       I’m a pretty an active individual with a disability. I like to go out and visit theaters or movies. Or even sporting events. A lot of the able-bodied people that will read this might not understand what I’m about to write about but someone, please explain why all the handicapped seating is in B, F, E! On the one hand, I can understand that the developers might do it to prevent people from standing up in front of us, and for that I appreciate it. A word to developers though, you’ve avoided me being blocked by some really tall glad or really robust person, but now instead of seeing the hockey game that I sometimes pay 50-100 a ticket for I only see little ants. In the case of the movies, you guys are getting better. You put us in the middle of the stadium seating, but you often don’t have enough seats around us for friends and companions. And god helps us if there are two people in a wheelchair in our party. Someone’s feet are getting crushed! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been run over by another person’s wheelchair just because they are trying to back into the movie seat. Now I know you have a limited budget and limited space, but could you at least give us another inch to an inch and a half? So we don’t have to ask the poor lady who just sat down to get up just so we can situate ourselves? Thank you!

       A final issue I wish to bring to the table is that of the organization of the malls and stores. I do not intend to offend anyone in retail but I just have one simple question. Isn’t your job to attract the most customers’ possible so that you can sell us merchandise? Excluding those stores who discriminate based on weight or body type (coughcoughAbercromeandFitchcoughcough). If this is the case, I think you are missing out on a large population! No pun intended. When I say “missing out” I really mean making it difficult for a large population to enjoy an American past time known as “buying shit.”

       I am not a girly guy but I do like to go to the store and browse. One of my favorite stores to go into is Spencer’s. This is not a kid-friendly store but like many other stores, it is not wheelchair friendly either. I get that you have to have enough space for merchandise, but honestly…? Why is it that merchandise displays have to cover every inch of the store? I am not able-bodied but I’ve even seen able-bodied people that do not know each other have to get super intimate each other just to get by in that store. In fact, because of where I sit sometimes I am cursed with running into certain body parts of people that I really do not want to. Spencer’s is not the only store that fails to give any customer walking space. Another store that is one of my favorites has to be Bass Pro Shop. Forgive, me. That’s the redneck coming out. While Bass Pro Shop has a large center aisle for foot traffic, it like a majority of stores, also places the clothing racks way too close together! Every time I go in there my parents or person I’m with end up having to do the one thing I hate to have people do. They have to help me drive through the clothing racks so that we don’t end up buying the whole store. Part of them probably does this because I’m not the best driver, but I guarantee part of them does it because a 26-inch wheelchair base cannot fit within a half inch space without killing something.

       All that being said, I bring up these issues because they would not only benefit the disabled community if they were addressed but they would benefit the able-bodied community as well. I am going to be very blunt for a second and remind you that this is only my view on things, but it is my belief that some people rarely want to go places with people with disabilities because they don’t want to have to deal with inconveniences such as helping their friend. While I disagree with most of this premise, I do agree that wherever inconveniences arise due to the disability can be altered or should be. Wouldn’t giving able-bodied people more walking room (or in the case of movie theaters) wouldn’t more room lead to more satisfied consumers? Just a thought.

       In closing, I turn my focus back to the disability community. We are an active community given the opportunity. We are tired of sitting in the back of the room and we deserve to be on the front line like everyone else. 

I Can Write but It’s Time for You to React

All men were created equal. This is what it says in our Constitution. Discounting the irony in which it doesn’t mention the 3/5 slave’s clause. This is otherwise a good concept. It essentially implies that no matter one’s race, creed, religious belief, nationality, or any other distinguishing characteristic in America, they should be granted an equal opportunity. I have written a blog, which discussed a little bit of a piece of landmark legislation known as the American With Disabilities Act. However, today while doing some early morning reading, I was forced to ask myself this question, “Have we come all that far?”

       This year on July 26, The Americans with Disabilities Act will celebrate 23 years. It is almost a quarter-century old. It’s almost at the point where it has to make a significant life decision and stop relying on mommy and daddy but has changed for people with disabilities since the Act? My argument is that on the surface, improvements have been made, but legislation cannot legislate a cure for ignorance.

       This morning I found myself being proactive as my aide was sleepily frying me some bacon. I was cruising several news sites. Yahoo is set as my homepage, but to get a fair and balanced view of what is going on, I purposely look at both Liberal and Conservative sites. However, I did not get very far. Those of you familiar with Yahoo’s format know that there are often several stories along with a slider on the page. Immediately, the first story this morning caught my eye. The original title of the article by Jordana Devon was “Second grader in wheelchair set apart from classmates in a school photo.” Myself being in a wheelchair, I was intrigued by the article. The first thought that went through my head was, “I can’t be reading this right! This is not the 80’s anymore! We have One Direction and not NKOTB on the top of the Boy Band scene. No way can say what I think it says.” So to make sure I was reading it right, I clicked on the article. Unfortunately, I was reading the article correctly.

       In an extremely well-written article, the Yahoo Canada blogger lays out a disturbing story. Jordana tells a story of a seven-year-old in British Columbia who was set apart from his classmates when taking a second-grade class photo. The little boy named Miles Ambridge can be seen in the picture, trying to strain his body to be a part of the group. Jordana goes on to explain Miles’s disability as Spinal Muscular Atrophy. As she said in her article, Miles had been confined to a wheelchair ever since he was little. The report then gives readers the viewpoints of what Jordana would display as “heartbroken parents” in which the parents demanded a re-shoot of the class photo but were given the usual rope-a-dope-it’s-not-my-fault-response. It’s the other guy’s fault by the school and the photography company called Lifetouch. Before concluding her article, Jordana asks a very poignant question, “What do you think: Has this incident been blown out of proportion, or should the photo company be ashamed for its placement of Miles in the class shot?” Speaking from a disabled person’s point of view, I will say exactly what I said on the web page.

As a disabled individual, I do not believe this situation I being blown out of proportion. It is not the 80’s anymore, and we have legislation that guaranteed the disabled community to be given equal opportunity. Are we so messed up as a society that we teach our children so early to ostracize those different from us? By the looks of this photo, it is not the children who need to be in school but rather the adults. As Jordana quoted Miles’s mother as saying, “Kids can be cruel, but adults should know better.” Forgive me for saying so, Mrs. Ambridge, but yes, they should, but sadly they do not. The photo that your son was a part of clearly indicates a misunderstanding of difference. A misunderstanding that legislation will not correct. I am genuinely sorry for what you and your family were subjected to. I hope this incident does not jade you because while there are those in life who are intolerant of differences—those of us who are tolerant of differences far outnumber them. I am sure Miles is a great person, as can be seen by his beaming smile. I live in Northwestern Pennsylvania and would love to talk to you and your husband, along with meeting Miles, if at all possible. What you guys have gone through is ridiculous and sad, but I applaud your response to the situation whole-heartedly.

       As I said in my posting about the Yahoo article, what low Miles and his family had to go through is appalling, but it happens more frequently than one would like to admit. That being said, if Miles’s situation isn’t bad enough, there is yet another story I heard about this morning that enrages me even more. When I first heard about it, I could not even begin to blog because I knew if I did, I would be angry and vindictive. Also, my blog’s purpose would be defeated by my anger. After several hours of reflection, I was able to talk about the incidence that I watched and not exploded.

       As those of you familiar with Yahoo who are aware, if you read one article, they often have videos or links to other similar articles embedded within the item you are reading. Jordana’s article on Miles and his situation were no different. Near the end of the article was a video link that said, “Teens Steal Man’s Wheelchair On Long Island, Brag About It.” After reading the article on Miles, needless to say, I was in a mood to be aggravated. So I clicked on the video, which can also be found below. The video came out of Niagara County and a news organization there. It was of a News broadcast where a News Anchor was beginning a  story. Superimposed behind her was a picture of a wheelchair with the words “Wheelchair Stolen” underneath it. Quickly they cut to the main level. A man named Vincent had his wheelchair stolen from his home by a pair of 14-year-old boys. The boys, after taking it for a “joy ride,” admitted to dumping the heavy chair in a nearby bush. Unfortunately, it is believed that someone saw the chair and unsounded with it. This leaves Vincent in a predicament. Vincent is now forced to go around in a manual chair and be pushed around by his mother and others.

These two stories mentioned above not only irritate me beyond belief but re-emphasize the importance of education and advocacy. I am well aware that no matter where one goes, they will find ignorant people, but only through blogs like mine are advocacy groups such as United Cerebral Palsy. T.V. shows like Teal Sherer ‘s “My Gimpy Life” that a better understanding of disability will hopefully one day come to light. My goal in re-telling such horrible stories like this is to spark, you the reader, into action!

 As a disabled individual, I can be outraged and say how messed up these scenarios are, and it is my responsibility as a writer to do so. Still, you, as a reader, have responsibilities as well. It is only through acceptance of differences and your outrage at these situations that little boys like Miles may find a day where they are no longer ostracized for something they cannot control or help. Miles may be young and innocent now, but that innocence will not last long. He will one day realize that he is different, as many of us do. However, if society has changed even just a little bit by the time this young man reaches that age, then maybe he will not be ostracized for his differences but possibly celebrated. Then maybe young boys will think twice before stealing somebody’s lifeline to independence. I don’t preach very much, but that’s some food for thought.

 

 

Footnotes

1.) http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/shine-on/second-grader-wheelchair-set-apart-classmates-school-photo-173243067.html

2.) http://mygimpylife.com/