Ok, let's talk BASIC ACCESSIBILITY

[mariness]

Imagine my surprise when I arrived Monday night and found only stairs -- three steps -- leading up to the front door. The taxi driver and I looked for a wheelchair entrance and couldn't find one. I was too dizzy to stand so I crawled up the steps and got into my chair. That was fun. This was also during the height of the storm

Comments

[switchknitter]

That's horrible of them! D:

Mike now needs a wheelchair for long events (like, say, doing Halloween Horror Nights this last Sunday), and I'm getting a taste of what you go through. It's terrible. You've always had my sympathies on this shit, but I have a better appreciation for it. ((hug))

[jcbemis]

yeah, you really tend not to notice the details until you are actually in a wheelchair trying to use it. That's why when checking a facility for accessibility, I try to make sure I (now) or a friend (before I became this disabled myself) wheeled through any prospective facility. The Peabody Hotel on I-Drive added a ramp from wheelchair parking to sidewalk in 1991 when we pointed out to them that someone in a wheelchair would have to fight with cars to get into the hotel front door.

[amberfox]

I never really noticed how much difference the little things made til I screwed up my knee really well the week before I went on vacation. Curbs everywhere, slopes I couldn't do with a cane (and trying to do it in a wheelchair would have been nearly suicidal), uneven pavement to trip on while just walking along, and why aren't there more benches?

But I also found out that federal employees have a really good grasp of accessibility problems and will discreetly point out alternatives, in addition to making general announcements to make sure everyone knows their options. Even better was the absolute lack of argument with my judgement when I decided I was in good enough shape to do one of the non-accessable trails at Carlsbad Caverns. (I had been mildly worried about being treated like a child, but it never happened.) Mind you, my knee was pretty cranky after 8 stories of up and down steep ramps and occasional stairs, but it was glorious, and I'm not sorry I did it.

[mariness]

On the bright side this has put my angsting over the Universal Studios parking lot into perspective.

[tithenai]

Signalboosting the heck out of this. I'm appalled you have to go through this AGAIN with the SAME BLOODY CONVENTION.

[tithenai]

Also. I know there's very little that can be done when the CHOICE OF HOTEL is the main problem, but -- if there's anything at all I can do to help out as a fellow attendee, please let me know? I'm leaving Ottawa tomorrow morning around 10:15, should hopefully be arriving at hotel by 6:00 PM -- could email you room number as soon as I have it for ease of calling from your room and stuff?

[mariness]

Unfortunately yes I will need to call on people for help. Returning to the hotel room will be very difficult.

[tchernabyelo]

Unfortunately, not there this year, or you know I'd do what I can :( Hope you get through it.

[sasha_feather]

Hi, I've linked you at access_fandom at Dreamwidth.

[mr_perker]

OMG, you were in Toronto! If only I had been reading LJ more frequently.

[mariness]

I suspect I'll be back some day. Probably not at that specific hotel, but in Toronto, at least.