[Sam Mills Fan]

Hi! I've always wanted to find a nice forum like this and I'm glad to be here. Really fast intro: My family was in an automobile accident back in 1998 that left my then 4-year-old brother with a C1 incomplete spinal cord injury. His left side has full function, mobility, and sensitivity, but his right side only has sensitivity with very limited movement. He's 13 years old now. (By the way, it is okay for me to post here right? I wasn't quite sure when reading the rules. So I guess just to clarify, I don't have a spinal cord injury and I don't claim or pretend that I do.) Anyway....

What's the best way to get local businesses to put in some damn wheelchair ramps? I live in an old Southern town in North Carolina and there are still a few establishments that haven't done a thing when it comes to accessibility even though my brother is well-known around here. What's the best way to get this rectified in a non-hostile manner? Just ask maybe?

Thanks a lot in advance!

[smokymtn memories]

I've never had to deal with anything like this, but I would think if you live in a fairly small place where your brother is known, that sounds like a good first approach. See what the reasons are for not having done so already. If they're small businesses, could be financial? If it is, maybe you can get together with all of them to try to figure out a way to rectify the problem. Good Luck!

[itsjustme]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

I live in Indiana and most of the places here are accessible to me but when we go back to my mom's home in Kentucky there are places that aren't. We love to eat at Martha Jo's Home Cooking and I can't access either door in my chair.

We just had a little restaurant move here in my hometown because there were concrete steps at the entrance and the width of the sidewalk in town made it impossible to build a ramp so sometimes it's something like that and sometimes it's a financial situation. Just talking was part of what brought about the move of the little restaurant here. We were outside and some ladies were asking us about it when the owner came out and I told him that I was sorry that I couldn't come in anymore.

Maybe this is something that you could bring up not just with each individual business owner but maybe at a town meeting. Maybe the community could get involved with some fund raisers or something to help if it's a hardship for the smaller business owners.

[nomis]

Yeah, try talking to business people locally. Maybe approach your local business association or such organisation. Approach some local bigwig (mayor) and explain the problem.
Your focus is on your brother but it's also a problem for others in your community - other people with disabilities, parents with pushchairs, etc. It's something your community needs to do for all its residents (they're all gonna get old).
You may find you need to get more information regarding local laws, particularly if you encounter reluctance to change. Surely you have laws that apply locally regarding accss in public places. They will be available at your local authority.

[Sam Mills Fan]

Thanks for the responses.