27 replies to this topic

[hannibal]

So I was wondering. How many people here have complained about a building not being handicap accessible to the manager? If so did you see results? I have not because Iam not a huge complainer.

[Ratticis]

I did, manager told me it's "not his problem because he didn't build the place" even though he had been there for at least 15 years. So then I wrote a letter to the editor, and don't plan on going back there. Danny's a real arrogaunt prick anyway.

[Snakeye]

What tourques me off is state parks not being handicapped....you would think of all places their facilities would be....I complain but most of those not in a chair just don't think or care about such things until they or a loved one are disabled..

[hannibal]

Well the bar I wanted to go to is not wheelchair accessible has a flight of stairs to get into it. I could try to get up it with my walker, but dont know how successful id be. The other place I went to today had a ramp, but the lip was to steep for me and I had to get help to get in. Wanted to say something, but didnt know if it would even help.

[Halfman]

Sometimes I do but sometimes I don#t. One think I hate about being disabled is everyone expects you to be campaining all the time when I just want to get on with life like everyone else.

If it's somewhere I go regula;ly, or work at, or feell is important to my quality of life the I#;; make a complaint. Not very good at chasing things up though. People range from being over;y helpful to just perfect to arrogant idiots. Mch like in the rest of life!

[Stand]

Not all buildings fall under the ADA laws. If they are older establishments, they may not be required to alter their foundations or accommodate everyone. I was just in Baltimore and saw this first hand.

[goose]

I went to a nice hotel a few years ago and asked for the handicap room . To open the bathroom door, I would have had to go out into the hall then come back in to open the door. The hinges to the door were on the wrong side. The bathroom was nice but I couldn't get in. I didn't want to have to get dressed to take a shower. This was a brand new hotel. T he one you might see Paris Hilton staying in.

The manager didn't know the door swing would be a problem. I had to physically show him before he believed me. I told him I didn't want to go in the hall in my birthday suit.

[Ratticis]

One time, in a hospital no less, I asked where the bathroom was. The lady at the frount desk pointed me down a long dark hallway, so away I went. After about 4-500 feet, I come to a set of 3 stairs with the doors to the bathroom at the top.

[wheeliebear75]

http://www.ada.gov/

IF a building has gone under renovations & spent over a specific dollar amount (I THINK it's $30,000+ BUT I could be wrong & I don't want to wake my Mom up to ask her) then they are STILL required by ADA to make certain accommodations so long as they do not interfere with the building structurally. Also SOME building such as those of historical significance do NOT have to be made to meet ADA standards.

[madhouse73]

I had my first real moan yesterday not about a building but about Van on footpath which meant I had to go back on myself for a 100 yards to dropped kerb then come up in the road to get passed it.found out they were working on the cinema and their exscuse well we had heavy doors to unload .Note said doors were unloaded and in place .and van was empty would not have minded if they was doing quick unload not parking their especially as car park was oh about 2 mins walk max so could unloaded and parked van in it .

Im just plan nasty rolled round the corner spotted traffic warden and sent her round to ticket them ( they picked bad day to annoy me had been out all day and my arms were really feeling it

[rmorgan]

Back when my husband was looking for somewhere to attend college, he went to the University of Georgia to look around. They sent him to the disability office to talk to them, and it was on the third floor of a building WITHOUT an elevator. When he asked "why?" they said the building was historic therefore they don't have to comply with the rules. He looked at the receptionist and said "No, why would they put the disability office on the third floor if they aren't going to put in an elevator or another way to get to it, that's just ignorant, and I will not be appyling to this school. Have a nice day."

[McTavish]

We stayed in a 5 Star Dublin Hotel recently, the bed was so high that I had to be thrown on and the toilet was so low that once on I couldn't get off, I had to use the disabled toilet in the reception area (which was perfect, why were they not the same in the bedrooms).The shower was in the bath with a stool to climb in. If it wasn't so dammed annoying it would be funny.

[ebeth]

I've noticed that new buildings - like strip malls - in my community are being built that are not wheelchair accessible. I don't get it. People with disabilities shop too, right? I'm in the process of finding out who to talk to to get modifications made. I've been in a chair for 11 years and this is the first time I've felt like becoming a disability advocate.

[JimG]

ebeth, on 17 May 2011 - 11:55 PM, said:

... I'm in the process of finding out who to talk to to get modifications made. I've been in a chair for 11 years and this is the first time I've felt like becoming a disability advocate.

Good for you.

I've been acting as an advocate for a year and a half.

Our new hospital (where I go to PT) had some issues when it opened that the architects blew it.

Working with the hospital facility manager was easy and they made several changes based on my suggestions/input.

I was told at the time that I was the only one who ever said anything.

[Simba]

We advocate for others whenever the opportunity arises. The more people that express their knowledge the bigger the benefit for all will be. Vocalising concern is not considered as moaning in my books and needs to be done by the larger community of people who are affected daily by SCI to have an effect. If there are only a couple of people saying it the effect is considerably reduced as then the chance of them being seen by society as a moaner is magnified because they are alone in their expressions of suggestions to improve accessibility for everyone who suffers SCI.

[sh1wn]

The only place I've complained at was a medical marijuana shop that had a bunch of steps.

[hannibal]

Many the places I go to have ramps for wheel chairs but often the ramp lip is too steep to get my chair up into.

[Simba]

Also a major issue in NZ, the incline is much to steep to be accessible for independant wheelchair users. Defeats the point of having a ramp if the user can not use it by themselves. In NZ many places are totally wheelchair inaccessible and have lips, no ramps and doorframes that you can't get a wheelchair through - we are really quite backward here, they blame the countries financial debt but when we have 20% of the population who are disabled this is really not good enough for an excuse as it is the largest minority group in the country and they should make provisions for accessibility. It would also enable other mobility impaired individuals with easier & safer access into building which are supposed to be public. Inaccessible buildings are discriminatory in my books, everyone has the right to access where they need to go and to be able to do so independantly.

Spaces between aisles at shops and transition platforms to enable people to independantly open and close doors also should be addressed. We tried to get the council to make their toilet facilities wheelchair accessible, their reply was that they are already built so they are not going to change them. My husband has a slender, compact chair and he can't use the toilets as there is insufficient room to turn or get in and out and the vanities are much too high and you can't get near enough to wash your hands. Pretty poor for a council not to address this as they are supposed to provide an example in terms of enforcing building regulations.

Lips are tricky to get over and it doesn't take much to be a danger or hinderance - the freewheel could help you get over them easier if you are able to get one. But I get the point it shoudn't be made an issue for you in the first place, life with disability is hard enough without further restrictions to freedom, independance and accessibility to be piled on top of it unessecarily.

[ZEN12many]

Hi hannibal
I agree with Simba; it is your obligation to complain. If no one complains, nothing changes.

It isn't that everyone is against us; they just don't think or are not aware of our needs. It is our obligation to make them aware. Often the "fix" is easy and inexpensive. More ofen, it is only easy and inexpensive if accessibility is planned from the beginning.

1. Letter to my bank complaining that, to get to the front of the bank, I had to leave the sidewalk and wheel on the road with the cars. I pointed out where a short sidewalk could be constructed. I got a letter from the bank that they had forwarded my letter to the property owner. I didn't bug them again. Two years later the sidewalk was installed.

2. Letter to Boon Hotel in Guerneville CA USA. They have a beautiful Inn, and with no changes at all, I would gladly stay there again but they missed little things like a mirror over the sink at my level. I didn't get a response to my letter and haven't yet been back (but I will go back - they were very nice).

3. Email to City of Woodland, CA, where I live, regarding no Wait/Walk sign at The I-5 freeway entrance. It would be dangerous to cross even if I could run (and I can't). Got referred to "CalTrans". Wrote an email to them; no response. Plan to follow up with a letter to my City Councilman.

4. Letter to Mendocino CA USA. I used to love that little town before I was paralyzed. I had to point out to them that they must be the most wheelchair-unfriendly town there is (design-wise; the people are very nice). No response.

5. Letter to California State Parks suggesting that it would be easy to make the Mendocino Headlands (cliffs overlooking the ocean) accessible with a board sidewalk. No response.

6. Letter to California State Parks regarding the Bodega Dunes campground. The "accessible" bathroom only had one toilet. It takes me an hour. One poor guy, who couldn't wait, actually went in the trashcan in the bathroom. I suggested that any handicapped accessible bathroom should have at least two toilets. Got a phone call response but no action.

7. E-Mail to Versa-Haul letting them know how the carrier could be modified slightly that would allow a wheelchair person to operate the carrier independently. I got an email back saying they forwarded my email to the engineering department.

8. E-Mail and phone conversations with Daphne Lewis of Chalosulky.com. Wouldn't let up until she became interested in designing a sulky more suited for the paralyzed. She indicates on her site that they are developing a new three wheel sulky - that's mine!

No, you don't always get results. But sometimes you do. Write those letters (a verbal complaint isn't worth the paper it is writen on).

Rodney (ZEN12many)

[Ratticis]

Don't ya just love when there's a 2 inch lip on the "Ramp"

[isobar]

Hannibal how long are you going to just let things be? If we dont make people aware of over sights, errors or faults ........ then how can we bring about change ?

[Tetracyclone]

In Taiwan there is little or no attempt to make things accessible, even in Rehab! My bathroom in rehab had the weirdest little short, 6" rise ramp to get in the door. I did learn to get up it, but since all patients have to have a personal attendant it is assumed all over the country you will have one.

the ramps- Every corner has a ramp but they are designed for 2 wheeled scooters so they can park on the sidewalks. They are rounded so my chair cannot get up them, losing traction on one wheel.

No point in complaining, and strangers are always asking if they can help me.

It is a fun country, but be prepared to be carried by chair into many situations.

I must get a photo of the in-floor latrine fixtures I have to figure out how to use if I go to the outdoor market or older buildings. There is always an 8-10 inch step up, then this female has to figure out how to pee standing without wetting the clothing.

[guido]

Sometimes I think positive suggestion is best way. Go to town on promoting and recommending on good stuff, or show people where they can get sound advice on wanting to improve situations. We all think about our difficulties, but the other weekend I stayed in a lovely place - which great landlady, who'd really gone to town on thinking it all through and therefore included stuff for visually impaired and hard of hearing that I would never have thought about (http://.blackrowfarm.co.uk/).

In the UK here are some suggestions:


1. Centre for Accessible Environments - http://www.cae.org.uk/


2. http://rollsquare.com/ - Share the Accessible Places You Go


3. https://www.tourismforall.org.uk/ - Tourism for All UK is the UK Voice for Accessible Tourism. We are a national charity dedicated to making tourism welcoming to all.


Had an incident with my bank a while back, which was worth the trouble. It was soon after a landmark case in the UK involving RBS in Sheffield, and my bank had been real ***holes, so I called them on it. In the end, where goodwill would have done me fine, it cost them the cost of works to make their premises completely accessible and a little something for my trouble and inconvenience. That was achieved with a few letters and mgmt seeing that change was best done through their own system than by court order. Generally, I prefer to avoid these situations, except where people are actively ***holes and I just think, oh what the heck, I'm going to pass the problem back.

[Heretic]

I've had mixed fortunes. When I became paralysed, I asked the local council to put ramps on the kerbs that prevented me taking my daughter to school. It took a few weeks but they did it.

I have complained to a few places about the lack of accessibility. Some take notice, others don't. Some, to my delight, are very helpful and apologetic when they don't have good access, and then take steps to improve it (a case in point is a bicycle shop, from whom I buy components for my handcycle, who now have a portable ramp available for their entrance - simple!).

A lot of people complain vociferously on my behalf, thus shaming the proprieter more effectively than any complaint from me!

[Ratticis]

Some change things after you get the media involved, but then the staff bitches to the paper over what an asshole you are for complaining

[ThomasR]

My parents had to fight really hard in order to send me to a "normal" secondary school because the school I ended up going to was not accessible at all.
I usually do not complain if it is not really necessary. Mainly because if I did there would be no end to it. Seriously, Germany is really really disappointing in this regard. It improved only slightly in the last years. I complained to the railroad company a few times for different reasons. But I never got any feedback except from the employees who claimed not to be responsible.
Not even the university I go to is accessible (I think the faculty I go to is the only one which is more or less accessible.) The busses in my city were equipped with ramps only last year and they still do not really work.
Public transportation and educational institutes simply have to be accessible in my opinion. Maybe I sould begin to complain more often

[mephibosheth]

I'm not sure if this is an Aussie thing, but I find that most (no exaggeration) new constructions do not meet standards. Our BCA (Building Code of Australia) is pretty good, & references 2 brilliant requirements, the Australian Standards & the Access to Premises Standards. In theory, these 3 combined would create (mostly) a brilliantly accessible environment.

Trouble is: even though accessibility MUST be signed off by a certifier, most developers hire the certifiers who will sign off on whatever they're told to, regardless of actual compliance. The system is complaint-based, so one can build a public library with a 1:2 ramp made from balsa wood & sticky-tape, & the only way they'd get in trouble is if someone complains to the Human Rights Commission. Even then, it usually ends in "well that was naughty, don't do it again". There is no real recourse or accountability for developers or certifiers. Heck, even our federal, state & local governments build non-compliant works (been fighting with my university for 7 years about things like steps in ramps, poor parking, non-compliance).

I hate complaining, with a passion. Unfortunately though it's the only way to make changes here. And I don't mean a nice letter to educate the powers that be, I mean you have to send a threat to involve the Human Rights Commission on a solicitors letterhead JUST to get a meeting with someone.

/rant ;)

Sorry you're having trouble with it too. Hope you manage to get someone on board who has the willingness & power to help.

[wheelzoffortune]

I used to complain often, but then I stopped bothering as much because it never seemed to get anything done, anyway. *shrug*