A victory for the gimp militia, and homage to Damon Runyon
This is by far the best experience I've had inquiring about accessibility at a privately owned business. Yesterday I am at my dentist's office, which occupies the first floor of a typical Baltimore rowhouse, and I ask the hygienist whether there is a wheelchair accessible entrance, explaining that "my partner" (I hate that phrase but I use it for formal occasions like civil rights advocacy) uses a wheelchair and needs a dentist. C, the hygienist, informs me that the side entrance does not have as many steps as the front entrance, and they have helped wheelchair users in that entrance in the past. She thinks they have three patients who use wheelchairs. I say, "You know, you can buy a portable ramp for less than $100," (I find out later that this is true only if we are talking about a teeny tiny ramp, but they are still surprisingly inexpensive). She says "Really? I keep saying we need a ramp here." I offer to email her information about portable ramps, and she promises to talk to the office manager about it. On the way out we pass by the senior dentist in the office, and C says, "Guess what? Willendorf is going to give us information about how to get a portable ramp for the side entrance!"
So I get back to my office, do a little Googling, and send a very polite email to the office manager about what a great office they have and how I would love to refer "my partner" to them if only it were wheelchair accessible. She emails me back to say they have ordered a ramp and it will be there in a week! I have triumphed! The bad news is, Best Beloved then finds out they don't take her health insurance. Grr. Still, a blow has been struck for civil rights!
Usually when I ask about wheelchair accessibility, I am told some bullshit about how they don't have to make it accessible because it is a historic building, or they've never dealt with the situation before and have no clue how they would help a wheelchair user into the building, or they sigh and open up the accessible entrance with bad grace. Or they hunt around for the ramp and finally dig it out, after I've gone in the (inaccessible) entrance to inquire while BB waits outside. These people were happy about being able to make their building more accessible. Why can't more people be happy?
Anyway, I tell BB I think we need to buy ourselves a portable ramp. I hate the idea that we need to BYOR, but it could make life in Baltimore signficantly less frustrating.
So I get back to my office, do a little Googling, and send a very polite email to the office manager about what a great office they have and how I would love to refer "my partner" to them if only it were wheelchair accessible. She emails me back to say they have ordered a ramp and it will be there in a week! I have triumphed! The bad news is, Best Beloved then finds out they don't take her health insurance. Grr. Still, a blow has been struck for civil rights!
Usually when I ask about wheelchair accessibility, I am told some bullshit about how they don't have to make it accessible because it is a historic building, or they've never dealt with the situation before and have no clue how they would help a wheelchair user into the building, or they sigh and open up the accessible entrance with bad grace. Or they hunt around for the ramp and finally dig it out, after I've gone in the (inaccessible) entrance to inquire while BB waits outside. These people were happy about being able to make their building more accessible. Why can't more people be happy?
Anyway, I tell BB I think we need to buy ourselves a portable ramp. I hate the idea that we need to BYOR, but it could make life in Baltimore signficantly less frustrating.