Accessible to Who??

It's hard to think about the idea of accessibility without other words being included. Words like "justice", "equality", "civil rights", and "inclusion". That's because barriers set up by people with pre-conceived notions of "who should have what" often make accessibility much more of a challenge than it should be. I believe that what's accessible to some, should be accessible to all.

Several years back, I was working with a group of people who have profound developmental disabilities. Many of these people also use wheelchairs to get around. There was a park a mile from where we hung out, with a beautiful water fountain; surrounded by thousands of rose bushes. On warm, spring afternoons, there is no lovelier place in Portland. This park was created many years ago, before any thought was given as to WHO should get to enjoy it.

In order to get down to the fountain, you negotiated 30 steps, and there was no wheelchair ramp, which i found troublesome. One afternoon I began making phone calls to see if the City would consider building a ramp. When I brought up the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the idea of accessibility for ALL citizens, I was told they weren't required to, because the park was an historic landmark. After haggling, I asked the city employee if they personally believed that an excuse was more important than allowing ALL citizens the same RIGHTS. There was a brief silence on their end, until they finally said (quietly); "I'll see if there's something we can do".

Shortly after, a new job that I'd wanted for a long time opened up, and I moved on. As time passed by, I lost contact with the people from those days. A few years later, on the first warm and sunny day of spring, my wife exclaimed "Let's do something outside on this beautiful day!" I suggested we take a long walk to the park where the fountain and roses would surely be a treat. As we walked toward the fountain, I noticed there were now 2 wheelchair ramps beside the steps! I was beyond myself with a feeling of accomplishment. I also realized that we don't always see the fruits of our labors. The most important thing we can do is speak up about the many barriers that get in the way of REAL accessibility.