Challenges of Accessibility

At the end of December, I fell and fractured my left ankle, rendering me “non-weight bearing” on that leg. Suddenly, handicapped parking, accessible bathrooms and wheelchair ramps all took on new significance in my life.

While my new disability is temporary, I began to consider what the world and our physical environment look like from the point of view of a person in a wheelchair. It’s not just about sitting rather than standing; our built environment is full of obstacles, challenges, frustrations and dangers for people using wheels, walkers and crutches.

To learn more, I called Cindy Chesbro, who has multiple sclerosis (MS), and her husband, Wesley, to talk about how they cope.

Cindy has been confronting accessibility issues for over 30 years. Diagnosed with MS in 1993, she has learned how to adapt. Her diagnosis came as a shock at first, but she quickly found the determination to stay active, get outdoors and live her life.

With Wes representing our region at the state Legislature in Sacramento, Cindy raised their two sons there and got her master’s degree. She goes swimming, enjoys trails and the beach, and being fully engaged with the world while using a walker, power scooter or a beach wheelchair that can navigate the sand.

Both are once again back in Humboldt fulltime, so we talked about what’s accessible and what’s not in our area.

For those with mobility issues, the world that looks open and easy to others can be daunting, as I have learned since being given a short sentence with a wheelchair and other tools just to get around. Wes and Cindy talked about obstacles like curbs when parking, difficulty navigating sloped or uneven surfaces in Cindy’s power scooter, and pedestrian crossings programmed with insufficient time for people with limited or slow mobility to get across the street.

Humboldt County needs more curb cuts, handicapped parking spaces, better restaurant access and paved trails, they said. Some places locally have beach wheelchairs, but these are often too heavy or not available for use when and where they want them. Undeterred, Cindy and Wes purchased their own beach chair so she can enjoy the full stretch of the beach.

On the bright side, Wes says that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is making a real difference, with more buildings, trails, parks, shops and restaurants slowly becoming more accessible. One example is the firm surface mat that was laid down between the parking lot and Clam Beach to allow wheelchairs or walkers access across the soft sand to the firmer beach.

Another example is a newly paved handicapped picnic area and curving walk at Tepona Point in Trinidad. I stopped there one day and found accessible parking, tables, restrooms and a smooth concrete walkway compatible with my knee walker.

What needs to be done help people like Cindy (and me) get around? We can raise our voices both individually and collectively to lobby city, county, state and national parks for more paved trail systems, and ask them to make beach and trail chairs available where people need them. We can give positive feedback to restaurants and businesses when they make their spaces more friendly to wheelchairs. We can support local efforts to make our streets safer for pedestrians. Most of all, we need to raise public awareness about accessibility in our community and what it means for our friends, family and neighbors.

Tim Haskett, a geriatric nurse practitioner and member of the Senior News Community Advisory Council, is walking with a cane and working hard at PT.