Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Wednesday - What can I say?

Apparently, subscribers only stick around when you take the time to actually write something for them to read! :) I had 18, now I have 8. Ah, well, dems da breaks!

Life has been rather full and hectic here and my adventures have been mostly non-bloggable because they involve other people. And, really, I'm not going to exploit the exploits of others.

My role is caretaker. My mom is going through some rough times and I am called upon to care for her. No blog fodder there... at least not so far.

I do have some rants to share. Would you like to hear?

Wheelchair accessibility - sucks. I think many of us are unaware of how inaccessible many places are and how inhospitable the average person can be to a person in a wheelchair. With a non-weight bearing restriction on her right leg, Mom is wheelchair bound. Due to many other things, she doesn't venture out much, but does go out for doctor appointments.

I think I am more relaxed and non-ranty about the accessibility struggles at the store. Most parking lots have quite a number of handicap spaces that allow for wheelchair-bound persons to get into and out of cars with ease. The stores are a bit difficult to maneuver, but not impossible. The law is on the side of the wheelchair for the most part.

However, there are two doctor's offices that we visit that you would think, given their specialties, would be more wheelchair accessible.

One: The Orthopedist - no automatic door opener; door opens out; narrow hallways and a waiting room full of chairs (the only wheelchair ready area is the kid's toy area and if mom is there, the kids can't get to the toys!) It is so difficult to maneuver Mom into and out of this office and this is the office that deals with bones and ligaments and orthopedic surgeries and people who may be temporarily wheelchair bound.

Two: The Physical Therapist... I can't even begin to describe the issues of a wheelchair in this space... oh my. It was so cluttered, so full of furniture and file cabinets and boxes and - oh my. I can't go on.

It amazes me - that these two places, where it you are more likely to find someone on crutches or canes or in wheelchairs -- are so archiac in their design and/or cluttered beyond the ability of even an able-bodied person to walk without having to dodge some obstacle.

End of the rant. Nothing I can do but try to make the best of it as I move Mom through these visits.

I have been knitting... and crocheting... and cooking... but I have not been taking pictures.

Hopefully, I will do that tomorrow! I finished two hats for Mom and am about 1/3 the way through a fast moving dk weight shawl... and I finished Mom's shawl except for the blocking.

Until next time.

3 comments:

Ev said...

There IS something you can do -- complain. Bring it to the doctor's attention. You have a very valid issue, especially for those two specialities!

Marcia said...

Oh that does sound frustrating!

I fell out of blogging land for a while so I understand what you are saying.

finnime said...

Yes, you really ought to tell the doctor and / or office manager. They are doing a disservice to their own clientele. The solution might be as small as removing a chair or two!

We really enjoyed Memorial Day Sunday - thanks so much.