Friday, January 14, 2005

Accessibility and convenience are concepts ...

Elevators are the ONLY means for people in wheel chairs, walkers, and electric scooters to get between floors in buildings. Usually they are boldly marked and designated with this logo / sign and supported with other such signs directing people with need to them.

 

Fixed framed strollers, wagons, carts, even able bodied shoppers with personal hand trucks increasingly jam elevators. None of which resemble the symbol boldly displayed. Lines waiting for limited elevators grow longer every time we go out.

 

Most recent example, Patti and I waited in a line of nearly 50 bodies, 20 strollers (all but two empty of bodies as children were either running around or had used escalators), 10 red wagons, and half a dozen hand trucks for almost 20 minutes to go between floors. ONLY two wheel chairs plus two attendants NEEDED the elevator for access between floors.  In reality the elevators were adequate for accessibility and there should have been no wait.

 

“Overhearing” parents “explain” to curious children why people are in wheel chairs while waiting in line, I was curious myself why no one offered to let Patti or the other person in a wheel chair go ahead of them and their able bodied family. Manners and courtesy are taught differently today.

Accessibility and convenience are concepts that ONLY can be confused by the totally able bodied and self absorbed.

1 comment:

  1. With my mostly invisible form of MS I wonder how many people think I am lazy because I always use the elevator....even at church.  It is simply too dangerous for me to use the stairs to go to Sunday school.

    But I always defer to those who have a more visible illness or handicap.  Always and I use a cane.

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