Accessibility Fail In the Big Apple

[spazgirl]

My first time posting on Accessibility_Fail, thanks to roserodent for helping me!

So, I was in Manhattan last weekend and we were looking at restaurants trying to decide where to go for dinner. One restaurant had a HUGE step up to the front door and no other way for a wheelchair user of getting in that particular door unless a person suddenly learned to levitate (Wingardium Leviosa!). Next to the front door there was a doorbell, and next to the doorbell was a sign with the handicapped symbol on it and "Please Ring for Assistance". I suppose whoever was stupid enough to put that there thinks all disabled people automatically have monkey arms as some sort of a compensation??? I was sorely regretting not having my camera with me...

*facepalm* And I won't even go into my feelings about having to "ring for assistance" while everyone else can just waltz right through the door without a second thought...

Comments

[spazgirl]

The point, though, was that no wheelchair user who can't do steps could've rung the bell, because the bell was up the step next to the door. I can do steps, however, and I was considering ringing the bell...but I was with family and we were pretty busy. If I ever come across that restaurant again, I'll have to do a little experiment...

[ironed_orchid]

Perhaps they are operating on the assumption that no person in a wheelchair ever leaves the house alone?

[amadi]

Ah yes, the presumption that all wheelchair users are continually attended by a TAB. That's a pantsload of fail.

[pne]

Attended by a what?

[red_eft]

Temporarily Able Bodied [person]. (Notes that even if one if able bodied now, it may not always be the case).

[amadi]

TAB = temporarily able-bodied, shorthand for a person who is.

(Ahh, beaten to it.)