Happy New Year everyone!
In the course of the holiday season I had the opportunity to do some shopping with my granddaughter (who is in a wheelchair) at a large indoor mall and at Union Square in San Francisco.
For starters, the inconsistent response by the general public to those in wheelchairs is notable. Some individuals are courteous; help with opening doors, move aside, and, in general, are pleasant and eager to assist in some way. On the other hand, there are those individuals who are outright rude; who refuse to move so you can pass, jump over or in front of the wheelchair to get ahead of you, let doors close behind them rather than help (even when they notice your obvious difficulty), and make no effort to assist in any way but rather give you unpleasant glares for inconveniencing them. One of the most difficult situations is getting in and out of a crowded elevator with people who refuse to move.
If that isn’t enough, many smaller shops and stores have no consideration for those in wheelchairs, walkers, or even twin strollers. The aisles are so small or crowded that it is impossible to maneuver or get to the merchandise. Needless to say, those stores missed out on any purchases from me. Fortunately, the larger department and chain stores have adhered to the ADA standards of making all aisles accessible to everyone. Two stores in San Francisco, very large and popular chains, had so much merchandise on the racks, spilling over tables, and on the floor that it was impossible to pass. The safety factor in case of an emergency would put everyone at risk, let alone an individual in a wheelchair.
Make no mistake---help from others is not expected, but it is always appreciated. I hope retailers will broaden their awareness by making sure that their entrances, exits and aisles are accessible and safe for everyone, and that consumers will take a moment to extend simple courtesies when the need arises.
Julie
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
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DON'T shoot the messenger -- I am disabled, currently recovering from yet another ankle surgery, a sometimes wheelchair user, more frequent cane user, and always walking-impaired even under the best of circumstances. That disclaimer being stated, certain attorneys really seem to have skewed this area of law especially in California which has extremely protective disability rights access law, much more protective than the federal ADA. By having created an arena of "professional plaintiffs" where the California Bar is now going after some attorneys who practice this area of law aggressively, and at least one disabled plaintiff has banned from filing any types of suits ever in the future without permission of the court, "regular people" like you and me end up staying away from this area of law like the plague when we find out about this stuff because of the potential dire consequences AND because we can't get attorneys to represent us. Plus, since it is federal law, you can't represent yourself, you must have an attorney, you can't just sue Macy's in Small Claims Court over a federal violation.
ReplyDeleteNone of this is intended to be legal advice, just my interpretation of how these things have work to be where you and I hate going to clearance sales.