Lame Travels: To DC and Back

In the summer of 2005, my family packed up our truck and traveled across the United States. On this trip, I came across obstacles that had to be overcome in order to make this vacation work. Despite the challenges, this three week adventure was one of my favorite family vacations. This amazing time was full of learning history through experience and making wonderful lifetime memories with my family.
Our journey started out here in Washington and we drove all the way to the east side of North Dakota before taking a break (not including going to the bathroom or getting gas). Our goal was to reach Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where my uncle lives, before stopping. However, my parents became tired and needed to rest. So, we found the first hotel that had an empty room available. We ended up staying in a Super 8, one which had no elevator and the empty room happened to be on the third floor. We ended up leaving my power wheelchair in back of the truck, as I was not able to take it up into our room. My dad carried me up the stairs and my mom brought my manual chair up so I could use it. The non-elevator obstacle was not the only unpleasant factor of our stay at this Super 8. These factors would be unpleasant for anyone who chose to stay in this particular Super 8. The room we stayed in was supposed to be a non-smoking room but it was obvious someone had smoked in both the room and bathroom before. The room reeked of cigarettes and the tub also had burn marks in the bottom. On top of the room smelling, the sheets were not clean. It is not pleasant to pull back the covers to find hair; not just one little hair but many! My mom had to get clean sheets and also cleaner to sanitize the toilet as it had also been used before and not cleaned. We survived and these events did make the beginning of the trip a little more entertaining.  
Before arriving at the Super 8, we drove through a spectacular thunderstorm. As a Western Washingtonian it is rare to witness such a spectacular storm as thunderstorms are few and far between and almost never like this one. On one side of the car, colorful bolts were cracking down to the ground and on the other side, flashes lit up the sky. I enjoyed the beautiful show as well as teasing my younger sister that we may run across a tornado. Well, this was fun until my sister fell asleep and left me awake, worrying about encountering a tornado. I guess my plan to freak out my sister backfired and to be honest, I deserved it.
The next morning, we got up and continued on our way to Grand Rapids. We spent a couple of days visiting my aunt, uncle and three cousins. We watched another amazing storm and got to see a bolt of lighting strike the ground about 50 feet from the house! We also found out that Grand Rapids did not have any Starbucks or any other coffee drive throughs for that mater (this is disappointing to a Western Washingtonian). We also wanted to utilize the land of a thousand lakes so, we decided to go swimming. The park that we ended up going to was not very handicap accessible. I remember having to go down a ways and then loop down into the road and come back. If a person is not able to use the stairs, they should not have to travel farther than an able bodied person to arrive at the same destination. Even though there were some disappointing aspects to this part of the trip, I really enjoyed my time in Minnesota. Little things like no coffee and unequal access should not be reasons to ruin a vacation. It was so great to be able to visit family that we don't see very often.

Our next stop was Wisconsin. We were headed to stay with our former pastor (from the church we went to when we lived in Alger, Washington) and his family. But first we made a pit stop in Green Bay; after all, we were in Wisconsin, so why not go to Lambeau Field? Even though a football game was not going on, it was still pretty awesome to experience such an amazing field. 

My sister and I outside of Lambeau Field

From Green Bay, we continued on to our pastor's house in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I love Sheboygan, it is one of my favorite places that I have ever visited. Many of the houses were built in the 1800's and early 1900's and all seemed as if they were nicely kept up. Another factor that contributed to my liking toward the town is, when we went on walks, everyone smiled and said hi or even asked how our day was going. I did not know these people and they did not know me, but I felt welcome in this town. To anyone this would be a neat experience, but to me this was special. Here in my own town and even at my own school, it is rare that people who do not know me (or even some that do), acknowledge me. I really enjoyed my time in Wisconsin and hope that one day I will have the opportunity to go back.
From Wisconsin, we drove down through Illinois and across Indiana to get to Ohio. We camped at a KOA near Canton, Ohio. Here, my dad visited the Football Hall of Fame while my mom, sister and I played at the camp ground. Our stay was quite eventful as we got to experience Ohio weather first hand. Within about 15 minutes, rain clouds rolled in; rain poured down, then the clouds broke up and the downpour was over. During this time, my sister and I crawled into the tent, stacked all the mats and sleeping bags in the middle of the tent and listened to Mom as she tried to tie a tarp to trees above our tent. A mini stream started to form and roll right into our tent. Mom used our firewood as a dam to divert the water in a different direction. By the time she was finished with this task, the rain had stopped and she was soaked (a nice cool shower in the humid air was a relief to her).

My mom, sister and I outside our tent after the downpour

On top of this fun, the camp ground was filled with other things to do. We went swimming, utilized the game room and my sister rode horses. I really liked this camp ground, not only for the activities and weather but for the bathroom accessibility as well. There was a huge handicap accessible bathroom with a shower that had a seat as well as a toilet area that was large enough for my chair and my mom! Camping in Canton, Ohio is one of my favorite camping experiences.

My sister riding a horse at the KOA in Canton, Ohio

From Ohio, we went up to Pennsylvania to tour Gettysburg. We went to Little Round Top as well as other battle fields. We saw cannons and statues/sculptures that represent what took place at Gettysburg. We also saw the area where Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. I enjoyed getting to see where part of the Civil War took place. We took my manual chair around the battle sites as the bigger wheels maneuver across bumpy terrain better than my power chair (at that time). If I did not have someone to push me around, I would have used my power chair. One downfall of this trip occurred at Little Round Top. I was not able to get to the top and look over and down the hill. So, we made the best of it and my dad took pictures for me.

My mom, sister and I sitting in front of a sculpture of a Bible at Gettysburg

After Gettysburg our next destination was Washington DC. I loved DC, not only did I get to use my power chair the entire time, but the weather was hot and we got to see so many monuments and important places from our country's history. The Mall was spectacular, better than any picture could portray. Both the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial were larger than I had expected and it was such an awesome opportunity to see them in person. I loved getting to see the Vietnam Memorial as well, and getting to see the Capital and the White House was such an amazing experience! I really enjoyed the fact that I could go almost anywhere in my power chair. There were a couple of obstacles by the Capital, but nothing that could not be over come. 

    My mom, sister and I in front of the reflection pool

One memory that I have that scares me a bit occurred when we visited the Smithsonian. The security guard waved me around the metal detector and I was not patted down or checked at all. Yes, I am a blonde, fare skinned girl in a wheel chair but, that should not make me or anyone like me less innocent than anyone else. This was even after 9/11; a time when security was supposed to be heightened. Despite that, I enjoyed my time in the Smithsonian.

After touring DC, we went to Mt. Vernon to see where and how George Washington lived. This visit made him and his time seem more realistic. Even though my dad had to carry me, I loved going through Washington's house. Washington was a pretty creative man. I remember seeing a contraption that he had made. It was a fan that was powered by foot petals. He had it in his study situated by his desk. Like electricity powered appliances did not exist in the 1700's, people with disabilities really did not exist either. So, it makes sense that Washington's house is not accessible. There is that question that lingers around about if old monumental buildings should be modified or not. One side of the argument is yes, then everyone can enjoy historical places easier and the other side argues that modifying and updating monumental and historical places would take away from the authentic experience for everyone. As much as I would love to be able to go anywhere and tour independently, I do not want the history to be lost in bringing every place up to date. 

When we went to Williamsburg, I was impressed by those who had the job to reenact life as it was in the eighteenth century. The buildings had also been restored to look as they did in the 1700's. There was a pub that I remember in particular. I remember this pub for two reasons, one being a story I was told and also the accessibility, I could get into it. The story was that men coined the term gossip as men would go sipping at pubs and they would swap stories and talk about everything from their family lives to politics. I am not sure how accurate this is but I thought I would share it anyway. The really neat thing about this pub was it had a lift in the back. So, I could get into the pub without someone pulling my chair up the stairs and the historical look of the pub was able to be kept.  

After visiting Williamsburg, we traveled to Appomattox. At Appomattox, I remember a guy who also acted as if he lived in the past. He sat in a rocking chair on the porch of an old house and told of how Lee surrendered to Grant over yonder at the McLean house. He told of the battles that had surrounded the area as if they were fresh in his mind. I loved how realistic everything seemed. We visited the McLean house and saw the actual site of where the surrendering occurred. We also went inside the famous Appomattox Court House. During this part of the trip, I used my manual chair, as this made it possible for me to enter all the buildings. Every pace in Appomattox had stairs but if that was changed, it would take away from the historical significance of Appomattox.

My mom, sister and I in front of the McLean house

On our way home we stopped at the historical sites of Six Flags Kentucky Six Flags and Colorado. At both places we camped at a KOA. In Kentucky, the camping was pretty awesome as the weather decided to behave and I experienced a few firsts. Kentucky was where I rode my first roller coaster, had the pleasure to hear the power line buzz coming from bugs, witnessed the work of a raccoon first hand and played poker with Hershey chocolate squares in 90 degree weather. That first coaster ride gave me the love for speed, I do not have the desire to sleep outside in Kentucky thanks to the cicadas and the raccoon and my sister somehow won that messy game, yum!

Overall, I loved this family vacation. It sparked my desire to travel and learn more about history. It also opened my eyes toward that fact that I could travel just like anyone else even though I may have to do things a little differently. Stairs are the biggest barrier but if I have my manual chair, all I need is one or two people to carry my chair and me up the stairs. I really would like to be able to go anywhere independently, but when it comes to older and historical buildings, I understand why they are not accessible. 

However, there is a difference when it comes to newer buildings. I do not appreciate it when there are newer buildings that not handicap friendly or people try to make their building look accessible. 

I hope that some day I will have the opportunity to go back to Washington DC and the surrounding battlefields. Even though I enjoyed my time then, I think I would appreciate the experiences even more now that I am really interested in history and politics!

Western is Not Alone: Eastern Bathroom Problems

I just returned home from an awesome road trip to Bozeman, Montana. My family and I traveled there so my sister, Gina, could attend a track camp at Montana State University and check out their program. We had a great time exploring the town and the campus. To my knowledge, Bozeman is a pretty handicap friendly town. I only found a couple of places that were not and both were old enough to be grandfathered in. on top of the town being accessible, the hotel we stayed was great. The C'mon Inn is very accommodating; the shower was open, with a seat and hand-held shower head. The toilet had hand bars and my chair could even fit in the bathroom. I really enjoyed my experience in Bozeman.

On our way home, we dropped my sister off at Ironwood: a shot and discus camp for high school students. This year the camp is being held at Eastern Washington University. During my short time at EWU, I became disgruntled about their bathroom setups. On the main floor of Morrison Hall, there is a bathroom labeled as handicap accessible; however, the door could not be shut if I took my wheelchair inside the bathroom. The other thing is, this bathroom did not have any grab bars. Even though the building is old enough to be grandfathered in and does not "need" to be accessible, they should not put a handicap accessible sign up, which misleads the common eye into thinking the bathroom is accessible. So, because I needed to use the bathroom, I was on a search to find another one that I could use. One of the people directing the athletes informed me that there was another bathroom downstairs that she thought was handicap accessible. Well, according to the sign outside the door, the bathroom was handicap accessible. However, this bathroom did not have a handicap stall. Except, one of the stalls did have makeshift hand bars that were actually towel racks. This is misleading and dangerous; a towel rack is not as strong as a hand bar. If a person was to put their full body weight on one of these towel racks, the "makeshift bar" would most likely break off. This bathroom should not be labeled handicap accessible, because it is not.

 

This is the bathroom in the main lobby of Morrison Hall.

This is the stall with the hand bars made from towel racks.

Here is the handicap sign located outside the door of the bathroom with the towel rack stall.

Even though I do not appreciate the fact that there was not a handicap accessible bathroom in Morrison Hall, I understand  that older buildings (built before 1992) that have not been remodeled, do not have to be accessible. Never the less, it is the fact that EWU is misleading the public into thinking that Morrison Hall is accessible. They are also putting handicap people in danger by misleading them as well. The actual problem results from people not knowing exactly what truly makes a handicap accessible bathroom. Most people are ignorant due to lack of education. When upgrading to the standard, please ask questions and do not cut corners. Even though it may be the easier thing to do, it is definitely not the right thing to do. Either do nothing at all or do it right.

Through Rose Colored Glasses: The Supposed Perks of Being in a Wheelchair

There is an ignorance that comes along with being uneducated; the awareness of what it is like to have a disability is very low. When talking to people who do not have a disability, I have noticed that many will says things like, "Oh, you get to park in the close parking spots," or "You're so lucky that you do not have to walk around all day." Other comments include, "You're in a wheelchair, does that mean you can cut lines at Disneyland?" and "You can get into any college you want and there are so many scholarships available for you, I'm jealous!"
Even though it is nice that people are trying to hold a conversation with me (as many people will not), I do not appreciate the blanket, uneducated statements. About handicap parking spots, they are not as special as people make them out to be. For starters, the law states that for every 25 parking spots, there must be one handicap spot, and for every ten handicap spots, there must be one handicap van parking spot. Now, even though there are less people with disabilities than able bodied people, the 25:1 ratio does not fit anymore as more and more people are acquiring handicap placards and the ratio of parking spots to regular parking spots has not gone up. So, many people who do not need their placard anymore still have them, as those who had a broken foot are able to renew theirs even though they don't need it and others with elderly grandparents abuse theirs by using it when grandma isn't in the car. Another sad thing about handicap parking occurs more than it should. I see cars, without a handicap placard or plates, parking in the designated handicapped spots all the time. I do not understand why they cannot just take a "normal" spot. One time at Fred Meyer, my mom asked a boy why he was parked in the handicap spot and his response was, "What, this is a handicap spot? I had no idea!" He was standing right in front of the handicapped sign. Well, my question is should he be driving? By law, all handicapped spots are clearly marked with a sign. Also, the handicapped symbol is painted in the middle of the parking lines; even a legally blind girl like me can see that they are clearly marked! There are so many times that I have had to park in a non-handicapped spot. This entails only pulling half way into the spot so there is enough room to lower the ramp. Then, I have to get out of the van behind another parked car so the van can be pulled the rest of the way into the spot. During this process there are many disgruntled people as some think we are leaving and others are just grumpy that we are in the way. Another downfall about handicap spots is, the van handicap spot is usually the closest handicap spot to the door so, it is almost always the first to be filled. The problem with this is it is usually taken by people who do not need to lower a ramp. Not all handicapped spots are wide enough to accommodate a ramp. It would be nice if other handicapped spots were available so that those who did not need the van spot would not take it. More and more people are buying handicapped vans so there is a need for more van accessible parking spots than 10 years ago. I wish people would stop abusing their freedom to do what they want to do and start paying attention to what they should do.
Not only are people ignorant and selfish when it comes to handicap parking spots, people are just as mind boggling when it comes to lines at Disneyland. I have been told so many times that I am super lucky that I do not have to wait in lines at theme parks. At some places this is the case and this privilege I have to admit is nice. However, this privilege is slowly disappearing due to so many people taking advantage of this compensation. I say it is a compensation because most rides are not handicapped accessible and discriminate against the disabled person desiring to ride the ride. The main reason rides are not accessible is because when entering the ride a rider enters from one side of the track and then when the ride is over, they exit on the other side of the track. A wheelchair is not going to be able to cross the tracks to get to the other side, so when a person in a wheelchair rides, they enter from the exit. This is why we do not have to wait; there really is not a line for us. However, this is changing as people are abusing the "non-lines." I have witnessed people at Disneyland SPRINTING to the section of wheelchairs to rent them so they too can access the "non-lines." Now, for most rides, fast passes are used for everyone, but people in wheelchairs still have to enter from the exit.
With regards to not having to walk around all day, I would be happy to trade with anyone who desires to sit all the time. I have learned to adapt to my life style but, I would think that no one would really want to be confined to a wheelchair. I know that this comment is one of those things people say to those of us in wheelchairs because they have no idea what to say; I guess it probably is a conversation starter. My tip to everyone is this is not the best statement to start with. If you want to talk to someone in a wheelchair, maybe start the conversation the same way you would with anyone else.
Another misconception about those of us in wheelchairs is that if we are mentally capable of going to school, that I can go where ever I want and that I will practically just be given scholarships. Well, to begin with, this does not make me feel that great. I want to be judged by me, Kyann, not as a person in a wheelchair that colleges and scholarship foundations feel sorry for. I want to be looked at on the same scale as any other person going to college. Another thing is, there are not as many scholarships for disabled people as some may think. When I looked, I had to search hard for the couple that actually applied to me. There were so many that just applied to handicapped students in a certain school district or state. Others want the disabled person to become they spokesperson/poster child and travel all over the county. What is the point of going to college if you are never there?
Do not be afraid to talk to handicapped people, most of us like talking to people and are capable of doing so. The one thing I ask is do not make blanket statements, just talk to us as you would any other person. You may be surprised at what you find!

My Toilet Paper: Bathroom Adventures and Awareness

This past season, Squalicum High School hosted the Sub-Distrct 2A track meet at Civic Field. On Wednesday, I went to use the bathroom about 45 minutes before the meet was to begin. So, not all the schools had arrived and not many spectators were at the stadium yet. When I went in the bathroom, all the stalls were open except for the handicap stall. There were seven others wide open and it was very unlikely that seven girls had just finished, as the bathroom was empty except for the Blaine athlete and my mom and I. If other stalls are open, I would appreciate it if others would not take the handicap stall.
I am thankful that Civic has a handicap stall on both the away and home sides. However, on the away side, I am not able to fit my wheelchair into the so-called handicap stall. My mom or whoever else is helping me has to carry me inside the stall. Even is my chair does not fit, it is still nicer to have a little bigger stall, as it gives more room for two people.

Having handicap stalls that I am not able to fit into happens more that it should and even worse than that, I find bathrooms that do not even have a handicap stall and this happens more often than not. Going to the bathroom, something that the average person takes for granted, has turned into an adventure. Looking on the bright side and keeping humor in difficult situations that cannot be controlled, can be a great way to get through these obstacles. 

I can remember back in Middle School when one of my friends came to take me to the bathroom. I used the bathroom in the nurse's room as most of the bathrooms were always locked and the only one that was always unlocked, I was not able to fit into. However, I did not fit much better in the nurse's bathroom. Well, as two girls squished in the corner of the bathroom, we started laughing. We decided that one day I should write down all my adventurous bathroom stories. Here I am, almost six years later saying that going to the bathroom just can be "that funny."
Another bathroom situation happened with the same friend when we went to church camp. She was taking care of me and when she would take me to the bathroom, she kept smacking herself on the toilet paper dispenser. I felt bad, but every time she would laugh and say it was her fault. That same weekend, her sister also took me to the bathroom and almost planted my foot in the toilet! Good memories! 

Another funny bathroom experience was during my last year at MDA camp. Now I know this does not have anything to do with the size of the bathroom because this bathroom was a nice size and we both easily fit. However, it was funny and is a situation someone who does not need assistance would ever experience. On my old power chair, I had a bike horn bolted onto the side and each time my counselor would squat down to pick me up, she would non-intentionally squeak it. We would laugh and then she would have a hard time holding onto me, which just made the situation even funnier. This was definitely one of the highlights of the week.

So, switching gears to a little more serious aspect to a few places I can think of that do not have a handicap accessible bathroom stall. On Western's campus, the main bathrooms in Arntzen Hall do not have a handicap stall, I do not even know if there is a handicap stall somewhere else in the building. It's the same in the Humanities building; the main bathrooms are in the basement and the elevator does not even go down there. In the Viking Union, all the handicap stalls are barely big enough for me to fit nevertheless, someone else having to fit in along with me. The most hilarious bathroom set up is in Old Main. Right next to the handicap entrance is the bathroom which does not have a handicap stall. Then, over by the main entrance (with the stairs), the handicap bathroom will be found. However, in Bond Hall, supply closets on each floor have been converted into spacious bathrooms. The only problem with this is everyone wants to use them instead of the normal stalls. It is so nice for my mom's knees to not be squished up against my chair and her butt against the wall.

Squalicum High School has a similar problem as does the Viking Union. All the student bathrooms on one side of the school are too small and the bathrooms on the other side of the school are not much bigger, so I ended up using the teacher bathrooms. At first, I was told to use the nurse's bathroom, however, if I was across the school, it could take me five minutes to get to the bathroom. When I approached the issue, the school had no problem with telling me to just use the teacher bathrooms. However as a student, it was odd to use these bathrooms as they were off limits to every other student. I am glad I could use them, but being segregated out is not that special.

Fortunately, not every place has this problem. Thank you to Adagio Cafe, Prospect Cafe, Mallards, Bellingham Fred Meyer, The Market and Costco, Barkley Starbucks, Sehome Starbucks and Haggen, Woods Coffee, and Bellingham Hearthfire just to name a few. Thanks for having bathrooms that are large enough for a wheelchair user and their helper.  

Segregated Stadiums: Unnecessary Unaccessiblity

Track is a big part of my life; my parents coach and my sister throws the shot and discus. I have been to many different stadiums and what I have encountered is disappointing. I feel as if handicap people are not expected to watch track meets and if they are, no one thinks that they would want to sit with everyone else. Oh, another thing is, people must believe those in wheelchairs and others who cannot use the stairs, love getting wet.
Most stadiums that have a ramp, are only ramped to the very first stair level, which means, if it is raining, the cover will not prevent the rain from pouring onto the handicapped area. The other thing is the ramps lead right up to the walk way, so the place where a person in a wheelchair sits is so inconvenient. When I sit in Blaine High School and Sedro Woolley High School's stadiums, I always feel in the way. However, Lake Washington High School and Lynden High School's stadiums (on the away side), as well as Lynden Christian's stadium are even worse because I cannot sit in them at all. The one stadium that I despise the most is Marysville High School's stadium. There is a handicap section but, it is off to one side and feels super segregated in comparison to all the other seats.
Two weekends ago, 23 athletes from the Squalicum Track Team went to state. 2A State Track is held at Mt. Tahoma High School. So, I have now spent three different weekends at this high school and know it pretty well. What I have come to find is the grounds are not accessible to the point of a person in a wheelchair being able to go everywhere by themselves. I am not able to get to the discus ring as the side walk was blocked by bleachers and there is not a curb cut out at the entrance of the walk way. I have to go down the curb, cross the drive and then go up the other curb. this means I need two people to help me lower my wheelchair down to curb and up onto the curb on the other side of the drive. I also have to drive off the curb to get to the shot put ring because there is not a curb cut out. I also have not been pleased with the handicap seating for the past three years, however, it was better this year. The handicap section is blocked off to all people unless they have a disability. When a person sits in the handicap section, they have to be against the wall and can have only one person with them. The people who guard the handicap section do not appreciate it when those sitting in the handicap section want to come and go and not just stay sitting in their spot. I did not enjoy sitting in Mt. Tahoma's Stadium.
Unfortunately, Washington is not the only state to have this problem. Last weekend, we traveled to Portland, Oregon, where my sister and two of her friends competed at the Boarder Dual. I was able to get in the stadium, but just like Blaine and Sedro Wooley's stadiums, I sat in the walk way and the stadium roof was not going to keep out all the wet. Another thing about this stadium is it was built into the hill. So, the parking lot was up behind the high part of the stadium. The only way to get into the stadium from the parking lot was down the stairs or traveling down and around where the cars drive and then back across the track. I actually got to race on the track for the first time: race the races.
Even though Civic Stadium here in Bellingham has a handicap section on the away side, the ramps are very inconveniently located and the accessible area is segregated off from all the other seats. At track meets and football games, I am not able to sit with everyone else. However, there is one thing that I have leaned to appreciate about Civic Stadium is the handicap section is in the middle of the levels and is pretty covered by the roof. I also like that there are seats for other people, like family and friends, to sit by me. Snohomish high school's stadium is a lot like Civic Stadium. It has a well covered handicap area and has seats for others to sit there as well. The section is not segregated for the rest of the seats, as it is in the middle levels and is not off to one side.

This photo is of the away side at Civic Stadium in Bellingham, Wa. The handicap section is the cement area below all the seats.

This photo is of the home side at Civic Stadium here in Bellingham, Wa. The handicap section is the cement area that is right behind the seats.

I hope that in the future when stadiums are being remodeled or built that architects keep handicap accessibility and equality in mind. I love cheering on our track athletes and I would appreciate the ability to sit in the same, dry area as everyone else.

Hop on the Bus; Transportation Through the Eyes of the Lame

Here in Bellingham, being green is so important and I agree that we should take care of the planet. However, it is difficult to completely succeed when the bus system does not care about all of their customers. This leads to more people not being willing to ride the bus and falling back on their cars and in my case and many others: falling back into being less independent. I do not enjoy riding the bus even though it means I have more freedom and am being more green as I'd rather not be treated poorly by a bus driver, not be allowed to get on a bus, miss a bus, or not be picked up at all, which causes me to not get to my destination.
Twice I have been discriminated by the same bus driver. The first time, I got on the Indian Street bus that was heading up to campus and this driver completely belittled me and told me that I needed special loops for my chair. It would have been fine if he would have informed me in a professional manner and actually acted as if he was concerned for my safety and not just for his job. The next time he was the bus driver that came to my stop, he let all the other students on before me and then told me that there was no room on the bus; he said I needed to be the first in line to get on the bus before anyone else so I could fit. However on this day, there was also no room under the bus stop cover, so I was sitting out in the open, on the corner of the sidewalk, right where the ramp is always lowered. He did not lower the ramp and allowed everyone to get on and then blamed me for not getting on first. Unfortunately, he failed to notice that I needed him to lower the ramp before I could get on the bus. He told me to wait for the next bus.
The other times I could not get on a bus was when ramps were broken. This has happened to me three times in the past year. I do not enjoy the sinking feeling of having to wait for the next bus. Fortunately on campus, there is another bus that comes within three to thirty minutes depending on where it is headed.
This contrasts from every other route in Bellingham that is not on or close by to either of the campuses. It could be an hour between each pick-up at each stop, and on Sundays, the bus does not even run on many routes.
Even though the city bus has some unappreciated factors, the handicap transportation is very undesirable and I am so thankful I can ride the city bus (even though I do not like it). To ride specialized transportation an appointment has to be made 24 hours in advance, so that means no spur of the moment adventures. The other thing is specialized transportation may pick up the rider up to two hours before you need to be picked up, so this means the rider has to be ready two hours earlier than necessary. A third thing is, after an appointment or outing and the rider wants to go home, the bus cannot guarantee that it will be there in a fashionable time. A person could wait many hours for the bus to come and take them home. What wonderful service!
This scenario with regards to handicap transportation does not only occur in Bellingham, but Seattle and the Tri-Cities as well. The other down fall in Seattle about the handicap transportation is the spots fill up really fast and if the time spot that the rider wants is full, they are out of luck and have to figure out a different way to get to their destination. The city busses in the Tri-Cities are not very good and the city busses in Seattle are not much better.
On the bright side, I have been informed that the busses in Spokane are well run. A handicapped person can get to where ever they need easily and anyone can get almost anywhere until 11:00 at night. Go Spokane!

Cutting Corners: Jeopardizing the Safety of the Disabled

One of my friends commented on my last post and pointed out how the curb cut outs are not always alined with the crosswalks. She said that "If a blind person wanted to use a crosswalk but traveled in a straight line, they would end up in the middle of the intersection." This is true as the curb cutouts usually lead in a diagonal beeline cutting strait through an intersection. My friend asked me what kinds of changes would be necessary to better this situation for a handicapped individual.  
Curb cutouts could definitely be improved for the safety of the disabled. One suggestion that I have is that  every corner should have a curb cutout leading directly into each crosswalk/direction pedestrians cross the street. The curb cutouts on Chandler Street here in Bellingham are really good.
Another suggestion I have is for city planning. There is a law that states that when an area is upgraded/redone (like paving the street), everything needs to be upgraded. Last summer, Lakeway was repaved and perfectly good cub cutouts were redone. Even though the city was following the law, I feel like this was a huge waste of money as so many other places in Bellingham did not have adequate cutouts as well as some streets do not having any at all. 
A third suggestion is when a person suggests that they are in danger, that the city should take that into an account. This situation could be a potential law suit. If a person is injured and has stated that they felt that they were in danger, the city could be liable. 
It is not just blind people that are endangered by the inadequate curb cutouts. People who use wheelchairs stick out about three feet into the road when exiting a diagonally positioned curb cutout; this poses a possible accident. I've witnessed this scenario first hand. For about a second, it looks as if this person exiting the sidewalk, could be heading straight for the middle of the intersection. For a cautious driver, this would cause them to slam on their breaks even it the person in the wheelchair is intending to travel parallel to the car in the crosswalk. If the first car slams on their breaks a second car could potentially smash into the first car. The second car would probably have no idea why the first car stopped as by this time the person in the wheelchair would already be all the way in the crosswalk. This situation could also occur with a mom pushing a stroller, so it is not just disabled people who are endangered.