The restaurant was great, but the entry ramp was ridiculously, dangerously, idiotically steep. I got in and out just fine. But without my friends around me and my power wheels under me, I would have been waiting outside with a disgruntled knot of manual wheelchair users and those who couldn’t walk up the stairs or the ramp. I sent a letter of complaint.
Dear Restaurant Owner:
My group ate at your restaurant yesterday afternoon. Your food is uncommonly good. Everything looked as good as it smelled. Your waitress was attentive, and extremely helpful to me, helping to rearrange chairs so that I could get from the accessible door to my table. Unfortunately, your “accessible” door is the least accessible ramp and door that I have seen. On the plus side, I can tell you that the door is wide enough; for the minus side, I have a list.
1. Your ramp is too steep.
People using manual wheelchairs have to rely on their own strength or have to bring helpers to roll up your ramp. In either case, your steep ramp is a danger to everyone who uses it. Getting into a restaurant should not be an extreme sport. Neither should leaving a restaurant. Going down the ramp presents a whole new set of extreme problems. My power wheelchair got me in. Not everyone has such a wonderful tool. Of course, I’m not the only kind of disabled person. I can’t imagine that anyone who has difficulty climbing stairs being able to safely use your ridiculous ramp.
2. Your ramp is too narrow, and the 90° turn on the tiny landing is way too tight.
I was able to get in, yes. But my chair can turn within its own radius. In a chair that needed a wide circle to turn there is no way I could ever have gotten in. Further, there is nowhere for anyone to stand safely to hold the door open — in or out. Coming in, someone has to assume a precarious position, leaning way out the door with the arm fully extended. And going out, it is frankly impossible for anyone to hold the door on that tiny landing and the narrow ramp.
3. Your side door is just unfriendly.
Your “accessible” door cannot be opened from the outside. A disabled person would have no choice but to bring a helper, or beg passers-by to alert the management. This does not constitute equal access.
I can’t believe that the building code in Bridgewater would permit a ramp so far out of federal ADA accessibility guidelines to be built in their town.
I love to eat good food; your restaurant makes it well. I sometimes need help; your staff is wonderfully helpful. You have tried to provide access; but useless access is no access at all.
Sincerely,
Great Garlu
If, after reading the title of this entry, you ask “What’s not nice about this new you?” I just hasten to add that I didn’t say that it would be No More Mr. Polite Guy1. No, what’s not nice is that I didn’t couch this as a friendly note, as if the two of us could just work this out to everyone’s satisfaction. I am not waiting for friendly or otherwise reply before inviting the local Superintendent of Code Enforcement in for a visit to this otherwise fine establishment. If this doesn’t get any action, I contact the mayor’s office, the fire commissioner, the town council — you get my drift.
The New Disabled — We Are Everywhere You Want to Be©
. Or we will be. Look for us at a previously-inaccessible place near you.
1. Click
here to see what “No More Mr. Polite Guy” might look like….
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No More Mr. Nice Guy
6 08 2010The restaurant was great, but the entry ramp was ridiculously, dangerously, idiotically steep. I got in and out just fine. But without my friends around me and my power wheels under me, I would have been waiting outside with a disgruntled knot of manual wheelchair users and those who couldn’t walk up the stairs or the ramp. I sent a letter of complaint.
Dear Restaurant Owner:
My group ate at your restaurant yesterday afternoon. Your food is uncommonly good. Everything looked as good as it smelled. Your waitress was attentive, and extremely helpful to me, helping to rearrange chairs so that I could get from the accessible door to my table. Unfortunately, your “accessible” door is the least accessible ramp and door that I have seen. On the plus side, I can tell you that the door is wide enough; for the minus side, I have a list.
1. Your ramp is too steep.
People using manual wheelchairs have to rely on their own strength or have to bring helpers to roll up your ramp. In either case, your steep ramp is a danger to everyone who uses it. Getting into a restaurant should not be an extreme sport. Neither should leaving a restaurant. Going down the ramp presents a whole new set of extreme problems. My power wheelchair got me in. Not everyone has such a wonderful tool. Of course, I’m not the only kind of disabled person. I can’t imagine that anyone who has difficulty climbing stairs being able to safely use your ridiculous ramp.
2. Your ramp is too narrow, and the 90° turn on the tiny landing is way too tight.
I was able to get in, yes. But my chair can turn within its own radius. In a chair that needed a wide circle to turn there is no way I could ever have gotten in. Further, there is nowhere for anyone to stand safely to hold the door open — in or out. Coming in, someone has to assume a precarious position, leaning way out the door with the arm fully extended. And going out, it is frankly impossible for anyone to hold the door on that tiny landing and the narrow ramp.
3. Your side door is just unfriendly.
Your “accessible” door cannot be opened from the outside. A disabled person would have no choice but to bring a helper, or beg passers-by to alert the management. This does not constitute equal access.
I can’t believe that the building code in Bridgewater would permit a ramp so far out of federal ADA accessibility guidelines to be built in their town.
I love to eat good food; your restaurant makes it well. I sometimes need help; your staff is wonderfully helpful. You have tried to provide access; but useless access is no access at all.
Sincerely,
Great Garlu
If, after reading the title of this entry, you ask “What’s not nice about this new you?” I just hasten to add that I didn’t say that it would be No More Mr. Polite Guy1. No, what’s not nice is that I didn’t couch this as a friendly note, as if the two of us could just work this out to everyone’s satisfaction. I am not waiting for friendly or otherwise reply before inviting the local Superintendent of Code Enforcement in for a visit to this otherwise fine establishment. If this doesn’t get any action, I contact the mayor’s office, the fire commissioner, the town council — you get my drift.
The New Disabled — We Are Everywhere You Want to Be©
. Or we will be. Look for us at a previously-inaccessible place near you.
1. Click here to see what “No More Mr. Polite Guy” might look like….
< Return >
Like this: