Easting Out
Things to Remember:
- Call ahead and tell the establishment your party includes a wheelchair.
- Ask if the restaurant has a special entrance.
- Make reservations whenever possible.
- Tables more easily accommodate chairs than booths.
- Restaurant restrooms are not always accessible; assistance may be required.
- If you need assistance cutting food, ask to have it cut before it is served to you. This is sometimes called "kitchen cut".
- Carry your handicap-parking placard.
Margie's Personal Experience
Most restaurants in the United States have very good accessibility - if not in the entire dining area, then at least in part of it. California restaurants really try, maybe because the state requirements are so intensely strict about complying with the ADA regulations. Whatever the reason, eating out in my home state, even in areas where the terrain isn’t flat, is pretty easy for me. Convenient parking is available for vehicles that are properly marked, and legal (20:1) ramps make entrance into the eating place smooth and problem free. Seating is not always in the ideal location as the prime tables, most often, are not the easiest to reach. However, they are usually available if one is willing to put forth an effort; they don’t usually involve steps, but other diners must often make room for the movement of the wheelchair.
Calling ahead to ask about accommodations for a person in a wheelchair has saved us from an embarrassing situation or two. Often, after calling, our table is waiting when we arrive. I’ve found that even establishments that have a no-reservation policy appreciate anticipating a wheelchair before it arrives. A quick phone call guarantees a spot, pinpoints the time and, by eliminating the scurry, makes life easier for everyone.
Special parking spots are normally saved for handicapped persons, with ramps to sidewalks or entrances at close proximity. Unfortunately, they are not always usable. This is certainly an exception to the norm, but it is such a good story that I really must tell it. Kent and I spent a couple of days visiting the beautiful seaside city of Monterey, California, with close friends. Looking forward to a late seafood meal on our arrival night, we called and made reservations at a fine restaurant overlooking the harbor and world-famous Cannery Row. When we drove into the restaurant’s tiny parking lot, we were gratified to find a handicap parking spot waiting for us. After parking and getting me into the chair, we headed for the special entrance for handicapped diners.
To accommodate wheelchairs in the popular hilltop eatery, a back entrance level with the side parking lot is used. The front entrance is reached via a long set of steps, and no wheelchair could reach it, even assisted. But, the back entrance was fine for us.
To our amazement, our path was blocked by an automobile. It took the work of both men in our group to lift my chair over a cement parking divider so we could get in the special entrance. Our friend Tom, incredulous at the whole event, asked the maitre’d about the strange parking place. It seems the cook, already late for work, had taken the space (not normally used for parking) and, without realizing it, had thoroughly blocked my arrival. He reasoned, and rightfully so, that no meal could be served until he arrived and went to work. We laughed, too eager for dinner to do otherwise. Dinner was wonderful, the service was extraordinary, and, the bill was omitted! Even unfortunate circumstances can be a blessing.
