Nobody hopes that pursuing their passion, or just living their lives, results in relying on a wheelchair for their primary mode of transportation. When you went out rock climbing with your friends that beautiful fall day or when you climbed into the taxi to meet your family at the zoo you never imagined the chain of events that would follow. You never imagined… but you didn’t let it slow you down.
You worked hard, and made it out of the hospital, and then out of rehab, faster than expected. You continued your work at home, and now you are ready to get on with your life, whether it’s back to school or back to work or whatever else your future holds.
Now, you are waiting outside of what used to be your favorite restaurant, trying to call your friends inside of the restaurant, to let them know that you won’t be able to join them because there’s no wheelchair ramp and there’s not enough room to get between the tables in your wheelchair, anyway. Sigh.
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is a law designed to prevent this all too common scenario from happening. The ADA essentially states that, wherever possible, all public buildings (hotels, schools, restaurants, business, government, churches…) shall be accessible to all people. If there are steps in a building, there must also be ramps for those who cannot navigate steps. There must be appropriate Braille signage to help those with visual limitations. The bathrooms must be designed to accommodate people of all sizes and shapes, whether they travel on their feet or on wheels.
Here at Access Advocates, if you let us know about a problem with accessibility, at no cost to you, we will work to get that problem resolved. We will work with the building owner, the federal courts, architects, and contractors to make sure that the next time you go out to eat, you can actually go into your favorite restaurant. To find out more about how we can help your life roll more smoothly, please contact us.