Lame Travels: To New York and Back Part III (day 10)

When my family and I returned to where we were staying, we discussed or plans for the next day. My sister really wanted to return to Battery Park to buy a painting from the spray paint artist we had seen earlier that day. As a family, we decided that it would be better for us to split up, as it was so slow for me to travel down to South Ferry. My dad and I also thought it would be neat to visit the Natural Science Museum. So, my dad and I would travel to the Natural Science Museum, while my mom and sister would head back down to South Ferry.

The next day, we ended up traveling to Colobus Circle (59th street station) to visit Carnegie Hall before splitting up. When we exited the train, the elevator up to the street was not "right there" just like at the other stops; I had to find it. I headed in the direction that everyone else was traveling, thinking that the elevator would be where they were exiting. I came to a door; a door that looked like every other door I had been exiting (since I am unable to pass through the turn styles). Here, there are no turn styles; there is just that door. I almost exited though that door, but I am so glad I did not. Through that door leads up to the street, but only by a set of stairs! I quickly learned this and continued on my search for the elevator. I went passed the door and continued on until the platform opened up; to my left were the tracks and to my right a little ways further, I could see the elevator.
To the right of the elevator sits a ramp. I thought to myself, "I rather roll down that ramp than take the slow elevator!" I had this thought for a slight moment; this was until I noticed a sign hanging on the wall saying that the ramp is NOT handicap accessible. My thought instantly changed to. "Why would anyone construct a public ramp that is not handicap accessible?!" I also questioned why this ramp is not accessible. Could it be that there are steps at the bottom of the ramp? Or could it be that the ramp is just not up to ADA grade? This time, my first time at this stop, I did not venture down this ramp, I just waited for the elevator. However, the next time, I was super curious to figure out why this ramp is supposedly not accessible to me. Well, there are not stairs at the bottom of this ramp, and I DID access the unaccessible ramp! Never the less, I am pretty sure that the ramp in this subway station is a steeper gradient than the ADA warrants. So, my suggestion would be to replace the sign with a new one that explains exactly what is wrong with the ramp. For example, if the ramp is not up to ADA standard (a slope  of 1/2 ft.), then say exactly that. WARNING: THIS RAMP IS NOT TO ADA STANDARD. Or CAUTION: STEEP GRADIENT.

After traveling down the elevator (or the ramp), there is a second elevator that leads up to the street. My family and I took this elevator to go to Carnegie Hall. Unfortunately, this building was closed, as it was under construction. After taking pictures of the outside, Mom and Gina went back to the subway, and headed downtown, while Dad and I ventured back to the other side of the subway to go up town.

My sister playing Vanna White at Carnegie Hall

When my dad and I reached the subway station, we went down the elevator that we had taken up to the street earlier that morning. We went over to the information desk and asked the attendant to please open the accessible door. I need to ask the attendant every time I want to progress to the train as there are turnstiles that any able bodied person just passes through after swiping their MetroCard, but as a person who uses a wheelchair, I cannot physically pass through turnstiles. Another thing I am unable to do is swipe my MetroCard; fortunately, I was traveling with my dad, so he could swipe my card for me. However, I am pretty independent, and question whether or not I could travel the subways by myself. My first obstacle is actually getting down into the station, but once I am down, who is going to swipe my card? Do I trust a random person, or will there be an attendant at the information booth and will they assist me? 

Okay, back to having to check in with the attendant. We asked him to open the accessible door, and he did when my dad swiped my MetroCard. We went to the next elevator that we needed to take in order to head north. Well, it was broken. I found it odd that the attendant did not ask us if we were headed north; therefore, he did not tell us that the elevator was broken. I found out why the attendant at the INFORMATION booth did not inform us the elevator was broken: HE DID NOT KNOW! When my dad told the attendant, he was shocked. So shocked, he was apologetic and gave us two tickets for the next time we road the subway. 

So, our plan to go to the Natural Science Museum was foiled since it would take too long to walk or ride the bus there and back. By the time we would arrive to the museum, we would not get our money's worth before we had to venture back to meet up with my mom and sister near Rockefeller Center. Instead of visiting the museum, my dad and I ventured around Columbus Circle, experienced a New York City marketplace (that went on for blocks), and we also found Rockefeller Center. 

Columbus Circle was the only area that I found a crosswalk that did not have a curb cutout at both ends. The first time I crossed, I was pulled up the curb, but the second time, I found an alternative route to access the curb. Even though I had to deal with the missing curb cutout and the elevator mishap at the subway station, I really enjoyed Columbus Circle; the architecture is unique, and I absolutely loved the fountain!  

Favorite fountain I found in NYC

After taking pictures in Columbus Circle, my dad and I continued our venture through the streets of New York City. We came across a marketplace that seemed to go on forever; we could not see the end. I love to go to the market here in Bellingham, so it was exciting to see one so large. We browsed through about four of the tent lined blocks and then decided we had seen enough. We did end up having lunch at the market; I ate a thai chicken kabob and my dad enjoyed a corn dog. We also stumbled across a sweet treat that both of us could not pass up: deep fried Oreos.  

At the market

The deep fried Oreos 

When we were finished exploring the market, my dad and I went to Rockefeller Center. We looked at the flags and saw where the outdoor skating rink is in the winter. We found the elevator to go down below the street level where there is a mall like area with Starbucks, restaurants and bathrooms. Dad and I sat at a table for a while, then we decided to head in the direction of where my mom and sister would exit the subway. As we headed in that direction, my dad received a text from my mom that they should be a little longer than we thought, so we stopped and sat down by a fountain. 

After about four hours of separation, I was extremely happy to finally be reunited with my mom and sister; I really needed to use the bathroom and my dad and I could not find one that was accessible and unisex! I am so glad that Dad and I had explored Rockefeller Center earlier in the day and that I had discovered exactly where the elevator sits and that there are actual bathrooms that I could use! 

Our next stop: F.A.O. Swartz. This toy store, featured in the movie BIG, is located near the Rockefeller center. When we first arrived at F.A.O. Swartz, I thought I was not going to get to go inside as the courtyard area in front of this toy store is up three steps. I kept driving along the steps until I came to the end of the court yard. There I found a ramp that was tucked away near the building. When facing the main entrance to F.A.O. Swartz, the ramp is located to the far left. So, my initial assumption was wrong; I could get into the toy store! 

Once I got inside, I learned that there was a lower level of the toy store that could be accessed by a set of stairs or a ramp (that is located on the right side of the store when just having entered through the front doors). There is also an upstairs as well, however, there is only a set of stairs to access the second level. Never the less, F.A.O. Swartz is a pretty sweet toy store; the ton a toys, candies and figures that fill this store are so BIG! There are life-sized stuffed animals, giant lolly pops and peeps, along with a humongous minion from Despicable Me!

Gina and I with Zoltar from the movie BIG

PEEPS

With a Minion from Despicable Me

Onward we went to the next store on our list: Bloomingdales! Getting there was an adventure. A construction company was working on one corner of the store. This meant that there was not a curb cut out where I needed to get down. However, a temporary ramp had just been poured. This was neat because I have never experienced this before; here in Bellingham, every time I have found a curb cut out to be out of service, there just is not one for a while. Even though I was impressed with the fact there was a temporary ramp, I was disappointed to find out that when I drove down it, I sank in the fresh, gooey pavement. My question is, why was this ramp not blocked off until it was dry and solid? I wish someone would have informed me that the pavement was still wet. When I exited off the sidewalk via the temporary ramp, I sank into the squishy pavement, covering my tires in black goo. I was super embarrassed to go into Bloomingdales when we arrived, as I did not want to leave tire prints on their nice, shiny floors. Fortunately, the majority of the goo had rubbed off by the time we got there. To my relief, I did not make a mark on the tile floors of Bloomingdales. 

I really enjoyed exploring Bloomingdales. To get up to the main store, my sister and I took a small back elevator. From there, there were about nine elevators working on all main floors on which we could all ride. Gina and I browsed for awhile and found a ton of cute things, but they were way too expensive for our college student budgets! When we were finished looking around, we went to find our parents. They were waiting for us in the restaurant. We eventually came to a stair case which has an accessible lift for those of us that are unable to access the stairs. As we approached the staircase, one employee ran off to go get the key that activated the lift. Once we made our way to the stairs and were waiting for the nice man to return with the key, another employee asked me if I had been assisted yet and I had the pleasure of telling him, "yes"! I did not end up using the lift, as my parents were finished eating and joined us at the lift and then we exited the store the way Gina and I had entered. I was so amazed at how helpful the employees were at Bloomingdales. Thank you so much to anyone who helped us while we were there!     

In my family, we could not go to New York City and go to F.A.O. Swartz without going to Toys R Us. So, we headed to Time Square. My sister and I were curious to see what the Ferris Wheel in the center of the store actually looks like. We did not end up riding on the colorful wheel, but we did explore the store. There is an elevator; it is in the center of the store as well, tucked right behind the Ferris Wheel. I did not necessarily enjoy my time spent in Toys R Us; the elevator was dirty and there were a ton of kids that made it difficult to move around. I was glad when it was time to venture some where else.    

The Disney Store is located right in the middle of Time Square. When we went inside, there were employees that automatically told us what we would find upstairs and said they would show us to the elevator whenever we would like to go up to the second level. All the workers were helpful here too. Even when I could not get to the check out counter, they made it possible and easy to pay. Now it may be because they did not want to hurt their business, but I do not think that is the case. I have been shocked at how many places that are not completely accessible, hurt their business by letting a costumer's needs slide by. I was impressed by the employees at the Disney Store throughout my entire visit; even to the point when two different workers headed to open the door for me as I was leaving, even though I was not alone!  

After our long day of shopping, we just wandered around the streets of Times Square while we were deciding what we should eat for dinner. We were all pretty hungry, so we ruled out going back to my grandma's cousin's house to make dinner. We kept on walking though the sea of people; while in this dense area, we saw and heard so many diverse things. There was a group of people all dressed as different characters like superheroes and Hello Kitty; they all wanted people to get their picture taken with them in return for money. We also saw The Cowboy and a black man who claimed we could not get this (referring to himself) at Starbucks! I also was informed by a guy that, "there are male stripping midgets over there," while pointing into the crowed. Fortunately, we were headed in the opposite direction and I just kept rolling along. 

Mom, Gina and I in Time Square

When Mom and I were in London, we ate at the original Hard Rock Café. So, I thought it would be cool to eat dinner at the Hard Rock Café in New York City too! In NYC, the gift shop is located on the floor right off the street, while the actual restaurant is located one floor down.  There is an elevator that is located at the back of the gift shop, in the storage room. It was quite interesting to travel through all the shelves and boxes. After about only fifteen minutes we were seated. I ordered a tasty salad! 

Before we left the restaurant to head back "home" for the night, we used the bathroom; they are located on the same floor as the restaurant, but on the opposite side of the building. There is a handicap stall, but it can be kind of tricky getting there while having to maneuver through all the people.   

The lights over the bar in the Hard Rock Café

Gina and I at the Hard Rock Café

Overall, it was a good day. I had an amazing time with my dad at the market and I am pretty sure my mom and sister had a great adventure as well. It was quite intriguing for me to visit such large, popular stores and to top it all off, I had a delicious dinner with my family at an amazing restaurant! 

Lame Travels: To New York and Back Part II (days 8&9)

After driving through the rest of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, we made it to New York City. We arrived in this crazy city of lights on a Thursday night. We went straight to where we were going to stay; my Grandma's cousin's house. We had never met our grandma's cousin before, none the less, she opened her house up to us. She lives in a beautiful home in the Bronx, and is so kind and hospitable; I am so grateful that she welcomed us into her home! I loved getting to meet and talk with her!

Crossing the George Washington Bridge

George Washington Bridge (after we had crossed)

On the morning of our first full day in New York City, we drove to 96th street where we parked our van in a parking garage, then hopped on the subway. This was quite an experience for me. I had never been on a subway in my power wheelchair, only in my manual chair. When getting on the subway, we had to be quick in order to jump the gap; someone had to pop my tires up the bump onto the train. Once we safely made it onto one of the cars, we were on our way! First stop: Lincoln Center. 

On the subway! 

We exited the subway at the 66th street station, then we walked to Lincoln Center. Here, we saw the Opera House, and Juilliard, along with one of the many beautiful fountains in this city. We also came across an outdoor elevator, which made it so I did not have to travel all the way around the block (since I could not access the stairs), and a "ticker tape" stair way. 

At the Opera House 

My sister sitting on the Lincoln Center fountain

       

BEWARE OF STAIRS IN CENTRAL PARK! 

After we visited Lincoln Center, we walked over to Central Park. I do love the natural beauty of Central Park; this area is made up of many trees, winding trails, and wild life, and is nestled in the middle of this busy city. However, to my disappointment, many of these curvy pathways lead right into stairs. These stairs are not labeled on the map that we were handed in the park. So, as a tourist, these stairs came with quite a surprise. The other unfortunate thing is, not all of the trails that branch off the main paths are labeled on the map either. This makes it extremely difficult to find an alternative route to a desired destination. My recommendation would be that stairways are labeled on maps, and that alternate routes are listed as well. This would not just benefit people in wheelchairs, but those who use walking aids and anyone pushing a stroller.     

Entering Central Park

When we came to a stairway, my dad and sister continued on to find our destination and to meet up with family, while my mom and I ventured on our blind detour. After looking at our map many times, getting directions from three different people, and then making some educated guesses, we finally made it to our destination: Turtle Pond. 

There are actually turtles in this pond! 

My sister and the little guy

We met up with my grandma's other cousin (who lives in New York City as well) at Turtle Pond. From there, we all went to get lunch. We ate at an outdoor "walk-up" restaurant located in Central Park that serves hotdogs, and according to my grandma's cousins, the best orange juice ever. 

While the others were ordering food, my mom and went to use the bathroom. As we were walking towards the facilities, a women pushed passed us. At first, I thought nothing of it, but as I entered the bathroom, I saw that same lady walk into the only handicap stall. Now, I would not have been bothered by this -- if it was the only stall open -- but there were five other stalls open! I waited and waited for that lady to be finished with her business; a family with three children came in after me, all went to the bathroom and left before this lady finally came out of the handicap stall. When she did come out, she would not even look at me. At least, when I actually had the chance to enter the stall, there was plenty of room for both my mom and I. 

My dad, my grandma's cousin and I strolling through Central Park

After we ventured through Central Park, we decided to ride the bus down to South Ferry. There we would get on the Statin Island Ferry (which is free), and ride it across to Statin Island and back in order to take pictures of the Statue of Liberty. The busses are super accessible, and even though they are way slower than the subway, they go more places. On my very first bus ride in New York City, I was amused by the bus driver. He did not hook my chair down with any restraints, nor did he offer me a lap belt. This was totally cool with me, but the reason for my amusement is here in Bellingham, every bus driver takes the time to latch and secure all four restraints, and then on top of that, they ask me if I would like a lap belt; this is a huge contrast!

After about an average of five minutes per block, we did finally make it down to South Ferry. We entered the ferry terminal to find it swarming with people. As we walked though the turn style, the switchbacks and down all the ramps, I felt as if I was a part of a cattle heard being guided to the destination. We made it onto the ferry; the ride was cool and refreshing. We could see the Statue of Liberty, and took a ton of awesome pictures! When we reached the Statin Island terminal, we asked one of the ferry workers if we could just stay on the ferry, even though everyone was told to exit the boat. Since we were not venturing out onto the island, we did not want to fight the traffic, and to quickly navigate through an unknown ferry terminal. The ferry worker radioed his boss, and then told us that it would be fine if we hung out in the back of the boat, while passengers exited. The ride was so relaxing, and I loved getting as close as we could to the Statue of Liberty!

     Mom, Gina and I on the Statin Island Ferry

View from the ferry

After we crossed to Statin Island and back, we walked to Ground Zero. On the way there, we passed through Battery Park, and by the Wall Street Bowl, which were both featured in the Nicolas Cage movie, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, as well as Trinity Church, which can be viewed in the Nicolas Cage movie, National Treasure.     

Ground Zero

After we found Ground Zero, we walked to the nearest subway station that was listed (on the website) as being handicap accessible. However, when we arrived there, we found that the elevator was not broken, but blocked off due to all the construction being done in that area. My mom walked down the stairs to talk to the man in the information booth. He informed her that we should walk to the courthouse subway station, there we would find an all accessible entrance to get onto the subway. This was news to us, as the courthouse station is not listed on the website. After about an hour of wondering around, we called our family, and they suggested we hop on a bus to get to where we wanted to go. So, we rode the bus to the Empire State Building. 

Riding the bus takes a lot longer than taking the subway. This was not a problem earlier in the day, as we were not in a hurry. Unfortunately, this was not the case this time, as my sister wished to watch the sun set from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. We made it to the entrance of the building, just as the sun slipped behind the horizon. 

By this time, I really needed to use the bathroom. My sister and I were the only two in our party going up, but my mom still had to get checked to help me in the bathroom. The handicap bathroom was locked and separate from the rest of the of the toilets. An employee had to unlock the bathroom for me. 

When my sister and I went up, there were two elevators that we road in; Gina and I were the only two in the second. When I got out to the observation deck, I realized that the venture around the deck was going to be a tight squeeze. The deck was about four feet wide and cram packed with people. This made it a challenge to maneuver around. On top of the tight quarters, on more than half of the deck, there was a cement wall that was at least five feet tall. This made it impossible for me to view the city from those sides of the building. In one section of the building, I could view the city, but you can only look at that one section so long. I decided to go down an meet up with my parents, but my sister stayed to snap a ton of pictures in order to capture the beauty of the city.   

I took an elevator all the way down to the second floor, but from there, I was told to exit the building via the store elevator next door. I found the elevator, and took it down to the ground floor. When I found the exit to the street, I asked someone to open the doors for me. Then, I was loose on the streets of New York City; it was nighttime, and I was by myself. My parents were waiting for us in the bar; however, since I was not twenty-one, I could not just roll right in and find them. Even though my mom had texted to inform us her phone was going to die, I called her. Fortunately, I did end up reaching her, as my phone was going to die too! I enjoyed being able to venture out of the Empire State Building and being on the streets of the Big Apple on my own (though it was just for a short while)!

View from the Empire State

The city all lit up

Apple in the subway station

   

Lame Travels: To New York and Back Part I (days 1-8)

About a month ago, my mom, dad, sister and I all piled into our minivan with the destination of New York City in our minds. The first stretch of driving was simple and easy; we have traveled from Bellingham to Spokane many times. In Spokane, we stopped for the night; we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. We try to stay at a Holiday Inn Express as many times as we could since  Holiday Inn Express tends to have a standard and we know what we are going to get. However, Holiday Inn Express, along with the majority of other hotels, do not have handicap rooms with two beds. We as a family of four have learned to adapt to this and we just get a room with two queen beds instead of a handicap room with a single bed. I have never stayed in a Holiday Inn Express that does not have an elevator and the majority of them have an adequate amount of room for me to maneuver my chair. It also could be that they serve cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I think this is the real reason.

My dad's yummy breakfast

On our next chunk of millage, we drove for thirteen hours though all of Idaho, the majority of Montana, and a corner of Wyoming in order to get to Rapid City, South Dakota. On the way there, we used three different rest stops, which all had handicap door openers. I only have seen this out of state; never in Washington!
When we arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Rapid City, to my surprise, there were automatic door openers there too! I have never seen door openers at a hotel before! That was not the only thing that was super amazing about this Holiday Inn Express. They had a handicap room (and yes it actually was accessible) that had two queen beds! And they did not stop there! In this hotel, I found the best handicap accessible bathroom ever. It is the bathroom located in the lobby. This handicap bathroom was larger than a typical handicap stall; I had enough room to turn around in front of the toilet and exit the bathroom forward (a luxury)! But what made this bathroom even more extraordinary was that the stall was big enough for the door to open in. This is so convenient as it is extremely difficult to shut the stall door when using a wheel chair and the door swings out. When I still had the ability to take myself to the bathroom, I had to have someone shut the door in order for me to lock the door (or if this person was a friend, they would just hold the door). Now whoever assists me, shuts the door. However, in this bathroom in the Rapid City Holiday Inn Express, I could shut the door by myself!

The best bathroom stall ever!

We stayed in Rapid City, North Dakota as Mount Rushmore stands nearby. I was so excited to see Mount Rushmore and when I finally arrived, I was not disappointed! The location of this amazing national memorial is so beautiful and on top of the natural beauty, the artistic ability of the men who chiseled the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln into the side of a granite mountain is spectacular! Gutzon Borglum had a spectacular idea and I am so glad that the majority of it was carried out and that I had the opportunity to see this spectacular sight in person. What made this place even more special to me is how accessible the grounds are. First of all, there were so many handicap spots to choose from! There were spots to CHOOSE from, and I do not mean like two or three! There is an elevator from the parking garage right up to beginning of the walkway to the memorial and a ramp located right next to the stairs; not way off somewhere else that specified that it is only for those who need it. The trek to the face of the mountain was smoothy paved and easy to navigate. I noticed many other people in wheelchairs roaming around the grounds of Mount Rushmore as well. I thought this was pretty neat, as I almost never see more than a couple people in wheelchairs in one place at the she time.   

Dad, Mom, Gina and I at Mount Rushmore!

After our time at Mount Rushmore, we decided to stop at a dinosaur park that was created by the WPA during the time of FDR's presidency. I enjoyed stopping at a piece of history that was unknown to me. Even though it is not handicap accessible (there are handicap parking spots, but stairs up to the dinosaurs), it was still a great experience. Gina, my sister, carried me up all the stairs so I was able to have the opportunity to see the stoned dinosaurs. I would love for this park to be updated, so therefore it would be made handicap accessible. However, this park is so old and not a "mainstream" tourist site. So, if someone complained about the unfriendly access and demanded a remodeling of the park, this cool piece of history would probably just be torn up so it would be equally fair for no one to see. It is just easier that way.

 Gina has been training for this all year!

Mom, Gina and I posing with the T-Rex

When we completed our historical site seeing in South Dakota, we jetted up to North Dakota; we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Bismarck. This hotel was pretty nice, but did not meet the standards that I had created from our stay the night before in Rapid City. Even though there was not a handicap room with two beds, this hotel did have pretty big rooms (I had plenty of space to turn my chair around in front of the beds)! While we were in Bismarck, I experienced on of the most intense storms I have ever witnessed. The lighting was ridiculously awesome; continuous flashing and sporadic bolts that would streak across the sky! On top of the amazing lighting, the storm also brought a downpour. The window was not dotted with rain drops nor had many little individual steams running down it, but it looked as if one large single stream was running down it. To me, it looked as if someone was washing the window. Not only was the lightning and the rain crazy, but the wind was crazy as well. The wind was so strong that the window was moving! I heard on the news that there were gusts of wind up to 75 miles per hour. There was also hail at one point. Fortunately it never got too large. There were warnings of potential golf ball sized hail, which can be destructive. Since we were at a hotel, there was not a spot to park our van under shelter in order to protect it, so my dad ended up parking the front half under a bank drive through until the worst of the storm was over (other people had the same idea, as there were a couple cars parked there as well). Parking our car under a bank drive through is not the only cleaver idea that was carried out while we were on our trip. My mom and sister ate Bismarcks in Bismarck! 

Gina and Mom eating Bismarcks in Bismarck!

After experiencing crazy storms and donuts, it was time to venture on to minnesota to visit my uncle, aunt and cousins. They live in Grand Rapids, so that is where we stayed for two nights. In Grand Rapids, Minnesota, there is not a Holiday Inn Express. Therefore, we stayed at an AmericInn. This hotel was a little older and did not have an elevator. On the bright side, the hotel did put us on the ground floor and the rooms were huge; I could easily maneuver around the room, all except for the bathroom. It was really nice to visit my uncle, aunt and cousins. On the first night, we went to my aunt's parent's house to see them and to have dinner. Later that night, my mom, dad and sister all played pool in the pool room back at the hotel.

Dad playing pool in the pool room

The next day, we all went to one of the thousand lakes in Minnesota. The park we went to had multiple handicap spots (which it did not need to legally) and the area was pretty accessible. It was also a beautiful day to spend outside; the sun was shining and the sky was so blue. We all had a picnic lunch and my cousins cooled of by going for a swim. I am so glad we got to spend time with them and soak up some sun!

My mom, uncle, cousin and dad eating lunch.

After hanging at the park, Mom, Dad, Gina and I went back to the hotel. Mom and Dad went out for a bit, while Gina and I relaxed at the hotel. When Mom and Dad returned, Gina and I decided to explore the town of Grand Rapids. Earlier we had driven by some cool looking old buildings that had been turned into many little shops and we thought it would be fun to check them out. However, we were disappointed when we found out that I could not get in. The buildings are old and probably have not been recently remodeled, so they do not have to be accessible. It was still sad that I could not get in. Instead, we took our business elsewhere. We went to Grand Rapid's actual mall and my cousin was not kidding when she said there are very few stores there. After our quick walkthrough, we went to the new part of town. There we went to Maurices, a store that is not new to us, but is new to Grand Rapids.  We found an interesting sight at this Mauricas: the handicap parking symbol. The head is huge!

Did someone make a mistake or are they trying to say something?

Look at that big head...

Gina and I browsed around the store until we ran out of time. We drove back to the hotel to pick up Mom and Dad. We met my uncle, aunt, cousins and my aunt's parents at Cedars for dinner. The building is accessible and the handicapped spots are right in front of the building. The drive was pretty wide; other cars had plenty of room to get by. When pulling into the parking lot, the drive loops in front of the building then down and around below the building. Another section of the parking lot sits about five feet below the building.

At dinner with the fam 

When we were all finished eating, we went to my uncle's house to say goodbye. We then went back to the hotel to go to bed. The next morning, we got up and drove to Madison, Wisconsin. Here we ate dinner at a fun little shop where everything on the ceiling moves and there is a carousel outside! I had a delicious salad and mom and I split a yummy ice cream cone.

Hot air balloons just floating around 

Dad, Mom and I in front of the carousel with some ice cream!

We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Madison. This hotel was pretty nice, but was the squishiest hotel that we stayed at; the room was small and it was hard for me to maneuver around the room. However, at this hotel, they gave every guest two free drinks before 7:00 P.M., along with the continental breakfast! And they also had fresh lemon ice water in the entry upon arrival; a refreshing treat after a hot days ride.

When we got up the next morning, we ate breakfast and then we were on our way to Sandusky, Ohio, via Kalamazoo, Michigan. Here we met up with Gina's best friend and her family for lunch! It was so fun to see her across the county and to meet her mom and little brother. We then continued on to the Holiday Inn Express in Vermillion, Ohio (right outside of Sandusky). This hotel room was pretty tight as well, but that is the toss up we have to deal with when we rather have two beds. On a positive note, being in Sandusky meant that we were now on the home stretch for reaching New York!

Lame Travels: To Kentucky and Back

Exactly one year ago, I traveled to Richmond, Kentucky. There, I visited my friend Danika and her family. My mom went with me to simplify the traveling process, and to help take care of me when we reached our destination. We flew Delta, which was amazing; the stewardesses were so helpful, and we had a number of unexpected bonuses that made our flying experiences that much more special.  

I have decided that flying may be a good way to pick up my husband, since I am always the first to enter the plane and I am always sitting in a normal plane seat like any other girl would my wheelchair is not the first thing others see. I actually had a guy check me out; this was somewhat embarrassing, but exciting at the same time, as this had never happened to me before by an able bodied guy who was not drunk or high. I have noticed that young guys tend to act differently around me when I am in my wheelchair than when I am not, and I also have witnessed the difference with able bodied girls as well. It seems easier for people to talk to me when I am in a plane seat versus when I am in my wheelchair. I find this interesting, as in both cases I am sitting down!

The landing in Kentucky was incredible; I could tell that we were declining in altitude, but the weather was amazing and the pilot had such great control that the touch down was so smooth, and we just glided  right onto the runway. When landing, the sky was so blue and there were lush green fields all around with white fences that encompassed neat patches of brown. When we exited the plane, the setting sun glowed red in the sky, and the air was thick and warm. I fell in love with Kentucky for a second time. Danika, her sister Ellie, and her dad were waiting for us in the terminal; I was so excited to see her, and I am pretty sure she topped my excitement. We went to her house and just talked for a while, then went to bed.
The next day, we all went shopping in Lexington. Danika, Ellie and I went to Victoria Secret. As Danika and I were browsing through the store, this lady came up to my mom and asked if we were sisters. My mom told her that we were really great friends out shopping, just like any other two girls would do. The lady replied with "How ferocious!" How ferocious? What type of response is that? That lady also seemed to not be able to get it through her head that Danika and I were not sisters, but Ellie and Danika were sisters. I love Danika so much; I love her as a sister, but just because we are both in wheelchairs does not qualify us as sisters.

Danika and I out shopping

During that same shopping trip, we decided to get some pizza. Washington is not alone when it comes to "separate but equal" entrances. We all found a place to eat and the main door had a one step up to the entrance; fortunately, there was another door around the corner so Danika and I could enter this building!

Danika enjoying her pizza

For the next two days, we all hung out at Danika's house. She lives in a beautiful area, and the weather was super nice, so we did a lot of hanging out outside and taking pictures. We hung out by the pool, and one night, we made s'mores (this reminded me of MDA camp, where Danika and I met and made many wonderful memories together)!

Hanging out on the patio

Twinning

So beautiful

Making memories together

Exploring the neighborhood 

Ellie braided my hair!

S'mores!

Gorgeous sunset to go with a lovely evening 

On my last full day in Kentucky, we went shopping in Richmond. We explored around the mall, and then went to lunch at a favorite sandwich shop of Danika's.

At Panera Bread

During our exploring, I only found one thing that was not accessibly safe at this mall; there was not a curb cut out at one of the crosswalks in the parking lot. This meant that Danika and I both had to exit the sidewalk early, drive in the parking lot with cars driving toward and past us, and then enter back onto the sidewalk beyond the crosswalk. In contrast to the Richmond mall, I found that at the Lexington mall many of the curb cut outs were amazing, and I would love to see all curb cut outs constructed like these; they are super easy to navigate!

Amazing curb cut out at Lexington Mall

With regards to accessibility, Lexington is more accessible than Bellingham to my knowledge. I have not done as extensive of adventuring around there as I have here. None the less, there were two things that I did notice that were a plus. We were always able to find a handicap parking spot (AMAZING!) and so many people went out of their way to open the door for us. There is definitely an awareness that I do not see very often here in Western Washington.

After we were finished shopping in Richmond, we went home and hung out as late as we could, spending as much time together as we could! I am so glad that I had the opportunity to travel to Kentucky, and create a week of memories with Danika and her family.

On our return home, we had to fly from Kentucky to Minnesota, and then from Minnesota to Washington. The night before our departure, my mom checked our flight schedule. She found out that we had been bumped to an earlier flight. When we arrived at the airport, we found out that our flights had been messed up, in that we were bumped back to our later flight from Kentucky to Minnesota, but not Minnesota to Washington. Therefore, we would be sitting in the Kentucky airport when our airplane in Minnesota was taking off. My mom went to the information desk to talk to someone about our tickets. She asked if they could please change our flight back to the earlier flight so that we could catch our connecting flight from Minnesota to Washington, and they did. We went through customs and went to wait for our flight. After about twenty minutes of waiting, we were informed that there may be a slight delay as there was a mess-up in the pilot's paperwork (it had not arrived, so the pilot could not fly). Another hour went by before we were able to board the plane. We had ironically missed our connecting flight (in Minnesota), and for all the trouble, Delta bumped us to first class. So, when we arrived in Minnesota, we walked through the airport, and boarded our next flight.

The first sweet factor about first class was that the stewardesses allowed my mom to just push me right onto the plane in my manual chair; no need for a squishy ride through the plane in an isle chair! After we got situated in first class, the stewardess brought us drinks. Unlike in coach, where a person only gets a drink every so often, in first class, one can ask for a drink any time. After boarding the plane, we were informed that due to the weather, we would be stuck on the runway until the thunderstorm passed. That was fine with us; we got to sit in first class for an hour longer, and we were not in a hurry. Another thing that separates first class from coach is, we were given lunch. On all the domestic flights I have been on, I have never been fed anything more than peanuts!

I had an amazing time flying cross country, and hanging out with Danika and her family. Thank you Ellie for all your help while I was there, and thank you Danika and your family for opening your house to both my mom and I! I miss you, Danika, and cannot wait until we meet again!

Oh, and next time we should go out to coffee! Maybe we can do that when we meet in Portland!     

A Time of Growth: A Spring Quarter Review

I love springtime so much. Spring is probably my favorite season closely followed by Summer and Fall.     Springtime is when the ornamental cherry trees are in full bloom and the deciduous trees are green once again. The garden is now baring veggies and herbs, and the sun is finally making warm appearances. I also love the watercolored skies and the scattered thunder showers that show up every now and again.
As I type this, the weather is spectacular; it is 70 degrees and sunny. Today is the first day of the quarter that I have actually been able to spend the entire day soaking up the sun as well as having an enjoyable Saturday. The first five weeks of this quarter have been emotionally exhausting. I signed up for a history class that I wish I would have never got myself into. Due to this one class, I would have to say that this Spring quarter has been my least favorite quarter at Western.
To start off, the reason for my disgruntled attitude started at the very beginning. The DRS provided me with an ebook of every textbook that I needed for this quarter except for the one I needed for Modern Japanese History. Another problem that occurred before the class even begun is the professor of the class sent us an email recommending that we buy our needed textbook on Amazon, rather than from the bookstore. However, she failed to inform us that she would not be ordering the needed textbook through the bookstore at all. So, as a student who gets books paid for on scholarship, I showed up at the bookstore the day before classes started to receive my books. This is when I found out that the bookstore did not have the textbook required for Modern Japanese History. This meant that I then had to order my copy of the textbook a day before class started. This did not make me too thrilled. On the second day of class, I took my paperwork (which I was able to get on the first day of classes because I was finally able to get the DRS secretary to make me an appointment before we left for spring break), to this history professor. When I handed the paperwork to her, she filled it out in a very huffy manner while scratching the pen across the page. I also informed her that I was legally blind and had a concern about the movies we were going to be watching. I asked about subtitles and she said that all the movies we watched were going to have subtitles, but that the ones showed in class would be read by a narrator on the film. However, she did not seem interested in my accommodations, so I said I would just figure it out. The majority of movies that were required for the class were old and extremely difficult or impossible to find on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon or any provider that is similar. However, there is one copy of each reserved in the Western Library. Now, the movies are old, which means the tapes are old (yes, I said tapes). These tapes had to stay in the library, so they had to be watched on a library monitor that plays VHS. They are super tiny and for a legally blind person, I have not been able to "watch" the movies that I could not find legally on the internet. On a side note, the professor told the class that we needed to watch the movies and if we needed to pirate the movies, then do so. Ok, back to watching the videos; I needed someone to read the subtitles to me and when watching the movie in the library, I could not see the picture. So, for two and a half hours, I listened to my mom read the dialog to me. Thank you, Mom, for reading the subtitles to me while watching an extremely long and slowly plotted movie. For each of the movies watched, a reflection essay/synopsis was required. A primary source (something like a letter, document, article or poem, written during the actual time, not a textbook or someone writing about the past) was also needed to be tied into the paper. The teacher's instructions for the assignment were vague and it was not clear how she wanted us to cite our source. So, one day after class, I asked her how she wanted the information cited. She told me to cite it however. I also asked what she meant by "one page" when talking about the primary source. I asked if that meant we needed to complete a separate write up on the primary source itself and she said no. During this conversation, nor in her directions, nor in class did she mention that the directions for "one page" meant to bring a copy of the primary source that was used. When she handed back our first paper, she informed us that we all did a terrible job and that we were not to come talk to her about it until our second assignment was returned to us. She had marked up my entire paper, but instead of explaining how I did not follow her expectation (directions that were not clearly stated in her instructions, or orally when asked questions in class), she changed my words and gave her opinion about my interpretation of the movie (a movie that was not easy to see in the first place). She also marked up my citation of the primary source that I used; even after she said it didn't matter how I completed it.
Another thing that happened in this class was we had maps to study for the tests. The map of Japan that ended up on the test was warped (scrunched up unlike the map provided to study with - this is very difficult for a legally blind person to deal with). Also, the maps that were provided online to study with were not of good quality either. So, when they were blown up, they became fuzzy; the words were not legible.
To top it all off, my professor had posted an introduction slide on Blackboard of a picture of a cat with evil eyes and claws drawn that says, "I don't do touchy-feely. I do scratchy-bleedy."
I have talked to a lady from the President's office as well as taking a meeting scheduled for this Monday with a lady from WWU's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) office. This class has been the last straw. And now that I have finally found who I need to talk to after two years, I am relieved! I am hoping that these problems will be straightened out, not only for myself, but for other students dealing with similar experiences as well.

Okay, so I wrote the information above in the middle of Spring quarter and now the quarter is coming to a close. Two days after I wrote the previous paragraph, I met with the lady from Western's OCR office. She seemed pretty nice and she gave me the opportunity to tell her all my concerns about everything I had experienced with regards to certain things that have happened with the DRS and different professors. As I was talking, she took notes and tried to document everything that I said. I asked if I could come back and read everything she typed and she said that I could.
In that meeting, I also had the chance to meet the head of the DRS, who happens to be the head of the Admissions office as well, so he is never actually in the DRS. I did not get a good first impression of him; he told me exactly what he thought I wanted to hear, but at the same time, he gave the same excuses that I have heard from the other DRS workers many times (i.e. We have over 600 students that we accommodate, we are short staffed, we are doing the best we can...). That meeting ended and I left. Within a couple hours, I received an e-mail from my DRS counselor, "Just checking in." She was offering to help me plan out my schedule and just wanted to make sure my quarter was going well. What? She wants to help me? In my two years at Western I had never received an e-mail like this ever! Was it a coincidence?
The next week, I returned to read over the notes that the lady from the OCR office had typed; I only found one minor mistake and she fixed it so the sentence would make more sense. After she fixed the mistake, we started talking. She told me that she had personally taken a trip down to the DRS and talked the lady in charge of proctoring the tests, about the mishap with the room for nursing mothers. The OCR lady questioned the lady in the DRS about the table incident (see last post for background information); the lady from the OCR made it sound like it was the DRS lady's fault. The DRS lady started making all sorts of excuses (i.e. I thought her chair could fit under the table in the large testing room, I did not know...). However, the lady in the DRS, who the lady from the OCR talked to, was not even there when the mishap happened! So why did she feel as if she had to make up excuses? The OCR lady also told the DRS lady that she needed to start allowing me to use the room with the higher table again. However, the lady from the OCR office got this wrong! I specifically told her that the lady from the DRS, who has the responsibility of proctoring tests, had nothing to do with the table and room incident. I also told the OCR lady that every test since the mishap, the DRS testing lady had been there, gave me my test and allowed me to use the lactation room for mothers, as it was always vacant when I went to test. In the OCR lady's notes, all this information is written down in CAPITAL letters! How in the world did she get the information wrong when she went to talk to the DRS? Why did the OCR lady talk to the testing lady when it was not her fault? Why did the ADA lady not talk to the two counselors who were involved? And why did the OCR lady not pay close enough attention to her own notes to make sure she got the story right before she went and talked with the DRS? When I called the OCR lady on taking the wrong information to the DRS, she seemed shocked. The correct information was at her fingertips, and she missed it.

Another occurrence that happened at the very beginning of this quarter is I went to my DRS counselor and talked to her about my classroom on the fifth floor of Old Main. This building is the oldest one on campus and has beautiful staircases. However, this means that if a fire was to occur, there would not be a safe place for a person to sit, as the staircases are open with no ventilation system like in newer buildings. I asked my counselor what the best plan would be in case of a fire. She did not know and told me she would talk to Health Services and get back to me; she sent me a link to their website. A couple days later, I was talking to a lady who works in the President's Office. She explained to me that there is a special chair (located on the fourth floor of Old Main) that is specifically for evacuating disabled people from a burning building. Now, can you tell me why a counselor from Disability Resources for Students would not know about an evacuation system for students with disabilities? Due to this questioning of miscommunication, there is now a committee being formed and they are going to discus the plan of action that needs to be taken for making set evacuation plans for students with mobility loss.
If you read my last post, you may remember that I talked about how the room that I had always taken my tests in was turned into a lactation room for mothers. Here is an update on that situation. During the meeting in which I addressed the fire safety issue with my counselor, I noticed that the table that I had always tested at in the now lactation room was sitting in her office. At first, I was not sure if it was the same table, but when I began taking my tests in the lactation room, my table (the one high enough for me to fit under) was no longer there. Instead, I had to test at a table that was a good height, but had such a big lip underneath that I could not fit under it. I continued to test in this situation, as is was the lesser of the two "painfuls". By the way, there are still no new tables for the large testing room.

Warm Hearts Triumph the Cold: A Winter Quarter Review

Overall, I had a pretty good winter quarter. I really only had one mishap with the Disability Resources for Students (DRS), and I would have to say that it was my favorite quarter so far at Western. I had an amazing professor for Macroeconomics whose passion for teaching made the class so enjoyable. My professor wanted us all to do well and I really liked his class; for the first time at Western, I was a little sad when the quarter ended. I want to thank my professor, John Hayfron, for giving me a better appreciation for economics and for helping me, as well as others, to succeed in your class. Another amazing part about Macroeconomics was that I had the most spectacular note taker that I have ever had! Kate you are awesome; thank you so much for your incredible notes and I enjoyed studying with you! I hope we will be in another class together in the future.
Unfortunately, the one mishap with the DRS turned my sweet quarter a little sour. It occurred towards the end of the quarter. I was informed that the college decided to make one of the rooms in the DRS the designated spot for mothers to nurse their babies. Why the college decided to do this is beyond me; I am for the campus to have a designated room for nursing mothers, but there are many other rooms that are more appropriate to choose from to accommodate mothers. This room that has been designated for mothers in the DRS happens to be the room that I take all my tests in. When being informed of this new decision, one of the ladies from the DRS told me that I could still take my test in that room, as long as it was not occupied nor going to be occupied by a mother. She said she could do nothing about it and had raised the question of why that room had been given priority to mothers to nurse, as the room IS in the DRS. The next week I went to take another test. The lady who informed me about the room was at lunch, so one of the counselors gave me my test. I went into the room, like I always have, and started taking my test. I saw one of the other counselors walk past the room and then walk back past the other way. Shortly after this, the counselor who walked passed the room started talking to the counselor who gave me my test. The counselor who gave me my test then came into the room, while I was in the middle of my test, and told me that I could no longer test in the room I was in, as it was a lactation room for mothers. I followed her to the large testing room and I explained to both the counselors that if I could no longer test in the room that I had always tested in, then I needed a higher table to be placed in the large testing room. This room is filled with desks and does have a table; however, this table is so low that my wheelchair cannot fit under it, and because I am legally blind, the paper is so far away from my face, it is difficult for me to see the writing unless I lean way over. This is not comfortable, as my back is fused, and who wants to be physically uncomfortable while taking a test? I have taken two tests since this occurrence, and an accommodating desk has still not been placed into the large testing room. Since the incident, I have taken my tests in the lactating room because I have asked the lady who proctors the tests, and she has approved this. The lack of communication that caused the interruption of my testing is frustrating.
Even though there was this frustrating bump in the road, I still would have to say that Winter quarter has been my favorite so far at Western! Thanks again to my Macroeconomics professor, I really enjoyed your class! And, thanks again to Kate for being an amazing note taker!