Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Come in and shop

I didn't mean yesterday's post to be as snippy as it sounded. I guess I was just trying to relate to others how difficult life can be for someone in a wheelchair.

I'm very fortunate. I now live in the warm (well, usually) south. But I didn't always live here. We moved down from Vermont about 8 years ago.

Life in Vermont for the wheelchair user was very difficult. Not just the harsh, long winters. A lot of Burlington VT, where we live a good part of the time, was inaccessible.

Burlington has this wonderful closed street called The Church Street Marketplace. There they have these great eclectic stores and restaurants with items and food that you won't find anywhere else.

But because these Church Street stores were built many moons ago, way before the American's with Disabilities Act of 1991 was enacted, most of the stores are not accessible. "One step up", as we say, is NOT accessible.

Legally, they are not required to make any access changes to their businesses. And most don't. But, because it was Vermont, most shop owners found another way to accommodate me.

When I'd arrive at some of these shops, I'd wait outside the door. Soon, two burly men would come outside and lift me and my wheelchair up and into the store!

Now, for some people this would be embarrassing and humiliating. Not for me. I like to shop, and I was very happy I could gain access to these wonderful stores.

My advice: try not to be embarrassed if this access option is ever offered to you. Just smile, say "Cool, Thanks!" and go along for the ride.

There are still so many places in the U.S. of A. that are old and inaccessible. Don't miss out on them because you don't want to feel like a freak being lifted up. Instead, be patient, someday things will change. And be nice to the people who offer help... your karma will be enormous!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Workers free dog trapped in sewer pipe

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) -- The sound of barking underneath a street Tuesday led a team of city workers to a dog trapped in a narrow culvert - and you might say they used a backward approach to rescue the mutt. The sickly, scared dog was about 50 feet from the nearest entry point, but since the culvert was just 15 inches in diameter, the workers couldn't fit into it themselves. Not even offers of food could draw out the dog. "He was exhausted," said Tony Talamantez, a public works foreman. Then Talamantez and his colleagues had an idea. They rigged up a long video camera used to inspect drain pipes, and approached the dog from the back. They used the camera to nugdge the dog forward until he reached an entry point big enough for a person to pull him out. The camera recorded the rescue, showing the dog scampering ahead in fits and starts as the camera pokes him in the rear end. The dog wore no tags, only a worn collar. But Julia Gosen, animal control officer for the city, said ...
Read more

Crested Geckos - great pet for the disabled

Image
A few weekends ago at the Austin Reptile Expo, I had the opportunity to meet a really neat woman who breeds and sells Crested Geckos. Since I have lizards as pets and have written before about how great they are as pets for disabled folks, I thought I'd write about the Crested Gecko in particular. The woman I speak of is Kati of Kati's Crested's . She's here in Austin, TX. I had never held a crested gecko before this Expo, but I had seen them in a tank at a local reptile store. They are very kewl lizards! Soft to the touch, almost like suede. The one I held jumped from one hand to the other and held on with it's prehensile tail! The crested gecko originates from New Caledonia (an island east of Australia). Adults range from 6-9" in total length. In the wild, they are nocturnal, arboreal animals living in the forests. Most wild specimens are tail-less, presumably because they dropped their tails while escaping from a predator. All of Kati's cresteds are c...
Read more

Axe Me A Question

Go ahead and ask. Ask the questions you always wanted to ask someone in a wheelchair. Nothing is too embarrassing. You might as well ask me on this blog since you are somewhat anonymous and don't have to look me in the eye. What have you always wanted to ask someone in a wheelchair? Here, I'll start: Q: "Hi, my name is LaLaundria! I wanted to know how do you take a shower?" A: Well, LaLaundria, I sit down. On a shower chair. I have grab-bars installed in my shower/tub and my commode rooms to give me extra balance. A shower chair is a hard plastic chair made to fit in showers and tubs. I have a shower massage type shower head that helps get the water closer to my hair. Howze that? Ask away, no question is off limits! (Oh Jeez, what am I getting myself into!)
Read more