Hey, there! Log in / Register
What somebody in a wheelchair goes through after a Boston snowstorm
By adamg on Wed, 01/10/2018 - 2:51pm
WalkBoston followed Amy around as she tried to negotiate Boston five days after the snowstorm.
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
There are so few people in
There are so few people in wheelchairs in Boston. I think it's crazy to design policies and apply them everywhere around the possibility that one might show up.
This is my frustration with the ADA. Reserved handicap parking spaces at Walmart get a lot of use. The same spaces in front of a daycare might never get used. And the same spaces in front of a 7/11 turn over so frequently, that it makes less sense to reserve them. Yet the law sets the same ratio for every case.
couldn't be more wrong
Why wouldn't handicap spaces in front of a daycare be used? Are there no handicap citizens with children? What happens when I'm in a wheelchair and have to go to 7/11 and ADA spaces are taken up? Because ADA spaces are not just the closest, but accommodate space to get in/out of a car. Can I then not get out of my car?
ADA is about making the city and buildings universally accessible to everyone, not just able bodied, and not just people in wheelchairs, but EVERYONE.
Honestly, as an architect I definitely feel the pain sometimes in making sure a space or project meets ADA, but that's reality. Just because there are less handicap people than able bodied does not mean it is ok to ignore them. Without ADA, design is indeed discriminatory.
How would you feel if you were in a wheelchair, went to a building, and the guard said "Sorry we don't allow handicap people in the building because we only get a few every year, and we just didn't think it was worth it to build a ramp." And then you went to another building, and the same thing happened, and another, and another....
The problem is the law sets
The problem is the law sets the number of spaces by formula, rather than allowing adjustments for an individual property's use pattern.
The problem goes both ways. The formula could result in too many spaces, or too few.
The problem is that you don't want to walk
You want a special space just for you right out front, not understanding that there are good reasons that these are reserved for people who cannot cover these distances that you are able to.
It isn't because they are special - it is because you are not special.
I know it's not exactly the
I know it's not exactly the same thing legally speaking, but this is why I prefer the term "universal design." Spaces should be available to let someone maneuver out of a vehicle while on crutches for an ankle sprain, or a more permanent disability, or being elderly with bad knees... The same designs cover a LOT of different needs.
During a gut reno of my basement unit, the architect and builders took a while to catch on that even though my mother wasn't yet 60 and isn't planning to live there for years to come, we're planning ahead for everything we can - deteriorating vision, mobility issues, difficulty grasping and carrying, potentially needing an in-home aide... Any one of which can occur at ANY age through illness or injury.
My dad busted a couple of ribs when I was a kid, and my mom needed pins in her ankle after a fluke slip-and-fall in her own driveway. Both incidents informed reno plans afterwards, that's for sure. Now my grandmother's 90 and having semi-regular falls but won't let us put in so much as a chair rail to grab in her hallway. It's a nightmare. Sure would be nice if her house was planned from the start to accommodate the inevitable.
Nobody should have to move cities because of a totally mundane disability, temporary or not, age-related or not. People can be so ridiculous. And cruel.
Why wouldn't handicap spaces
Apparently not in the several daycares I've been to.
In real life, the guard helps the wheelchair up the step into the building. What you describe is either fantasy or outlier. For an actual example of how that actually works out, read about the court case Tennessee v Lane, where a man in a wheelchair (paralyzed due to this own drunk driving, before you make believe he's a war hero) goes out of his way to weasel out of his court date. The court, in an old building without an elevator, tries to accommodate him, but he persists, and wins! Thanks to federalism, the ADA, and a Supreme Court run by senior citizens.
I hope you stay young and
I hope you stay young and strong forever, my anon friend.
You know a lot ...
... about how many people in the city are in wheelchairs. I suspect you're wrong. And, something tells me you never expect you might just be that person in a wheelchair someday after an accident, injury, or illness that "might show up" and need to go to the store or hospital or a movie -- or as you say the daycare or 7-Eleven. You must only know as far as you can see.
What a dick
I really hope this is a satirical post. Maybe you don’t see those with adaptive devices bc it isn’t safe for them to go out and about?!?
Their wheelchairs are necessary
Your giant wheel thing is not - until obesity takes its toll.
Why should we make things accessible? Because IT COSTS US ALL MONEY IN DISABILITY PAYMENTS WHEN ABLE BODIED PEOPLE CANNOT GET TO WORK RELIABLY.
That's why. Oh, but you want their disability cut because "looks like they could work if they wanted toooooo"
Accessibility for residents
Accessibility for residents and visitors is part of being a world class city.
Wow
Amy here. Yeah, that one. I’m Mom to a gorgeous, happy little one, so yeah, those kid destination places need parking spots. Sorry. May you always be lucky and able-bodied. Life is random and sudden and unfair. Good luck to you.
TROLL ALERT
Seriously, you're just trolling now.
A few years ago, I had multiple surgeries on my knee. I had a immobilizer from my waist down for four months.
I don't own a car, so my only way to get around was to either be picked up or take the T. I often took the T.
Ride the T sometime on crutches or with a mobility aid. You really get a taste of what it is like accessibility is like. I can't tell you how many trains I had to ride FURTHER than my destination stop because I had to switch so I could get elevator access.
I also had this happen during the winter. I also was had a difficult time getting around in the snow and ice. I was glad when someone completely shoveled the fully 33" as required by law in the sidewalk on their house. Or someone who was kind and cleared out a street corner so I could get by.
I watched this video this morning. I feel for Amy. It was hard enough for me on crutches getting around in the snow and ice. I cannot fathom what it is like for someone in a wheelchair.
But I digress. My point is, its not just the disabled who benefit from design built for ADA. Everyone does.
Hey bright light
How do you know how many wheelchair users there are in Boston? Because if you don't make buildings or pathways accessible, do you think you will see wheelchair users out there? I think not.
Very tidy
Well, that's very tidy. Your attitude, when carried into practice, virtually ensures that (with a few exceptionally determined people like Amy) people in wheelchairs will be homebound. Naturally, you're not going to see them.
Here's a thought for you: we live in the world we make. One day you won't be able-bodied. Think of how you want the world to treat you on that day.
Well curb cuts aren't really
Well curb cuts aren't really just a wheelchair thing. If you are not familiar with them, they are simply little ramps, and they are useful for anything on wheels. Strollers are the obvious candidates, but also other cool things like rolling suitcases, utility dollys, and grocery carts (what some call "granny carts"). They are also useful in places where people are allowed to ride bikes on the sidewalks (although we don't need to debate whether or not sidewalk riding is appropriate in dense urban environments). Go check out a curb cut sometime! They are really useful devices, but the video is right, they only work when they are clear of obstacles.
You don't have to be in a
You don't have to be in a wheel chair to be handicapped.
Which is why people need to
Which is why people need to clean their sidewalks (and more than a 6 inch path), driveways and the handicap ramps if their house happens to be on that corner. Even if not get the neighbors together and do it as a group. Or if the city completely covered them call them up! And put some sand down so it's not a sheet of ice for your neighbors. If you have an elderly neighbor help them out. Many hands make light work.
When I shovel I try to imagine that i am a person with disabilities or an elderly person trying to get around. It's fucking hard enough for them as it is why do we make it harder?
Forcing the city's hand
If nothing else can, an ADA lawsuit from someone like this might force the city to have a method to its snow clearing madness after a storm.
Talk about brave! I have
Talk about brave! I have watched people navigate in motorized wheelchairs down streets and sidewalks and think to myself how challenging it must be.
I realize to those there is no other choice, but man, it's gotta take a lot of nerve to trust the chair to maneuver the way you need it to. Especially in this snow and ice.
It makes you realize not only what we take for granted, but what we complain about.
Plowing bike lanes and cycle tracks
It isn't just about bicycles. It creates navigable spaces for chair users, too.
Looks like another job for
Looks like another job for MCAD.
Cars over people
Look I'm not expecting my bike lanes to be cleared but this is complete BS that its almost a week after the storm and mobility is near impossible for some of our most vulnerable citizens.
And opening 311 tickets does nothing, they are ignored, poorly acted upon or they drag their hands long enough that mother nature melts away the blockage. Rinse and repeat for each storm.
But if you drive, no issues like this. Why the hell is this acceptable?
Whoa, there, Spin
I agree with you regarding the state of the yet to be cleared snowy roads but I just filed a 311 yesterday about a blocked side walk in Boston and it was clean when I arrived this morning.
Rare
I opened 5, and repeated all 5 today when they weren't addressed.
3 were on city property, of course.
Well, my experiences with 311 say otherwise.
Perhaps the 311 system prioritizes tickets?
I filed several this weekend regarding city property not cleared
None of them have been resolved as of this afternoon.
Its anecdotal, sure, but for a few winters now I've been opening tickets for the same patches of city property in Brighton and it never resolves anything. These aren't side streets either, they are on or near Cambridge St.
And more to the point, why the hell do we have to "beg" for snow removal by opening 311 cases? Thats the issue at hand, needing to open a ticket for things that should be done in the first place.
citations are a joke
Or lets not forget the "Case Resolved.Cited for sidewalk not shoveled" generic response when its private property. The point of letting the City know of the hazard is so it can be rectified before somebody gets hurt or killed, the fine is secondary! And yeah, I am sure the owner of a huge patch of land that is most likely a millionaire anyway, will be very persuaded by the citation to keep up on the removal next time. Its probably cheaper to pay the ticket than to actually remove the snow.
It's still better than my
It's still better than my favorite response to closing a 311 ticket: "Case Noted." They might as well just say "f**k off."
Or lets not forget the "Case
Part of the problem is that it is usually not private property. The sidewalks, by and large, are City property. If the City wants to require property owners to clear sidewalks adjacent to their property, that's perfectly fine. It's a civic duty. But at the end of the day, it is City property and the duty to see that it is cleared falls on the City. There needs to be a better solution for uncleared sidewalks and ramps than a "ticket issued" reply to a 311 complaint. The bottom line is that green tickets don't clear sidewalks, shovels and plows do. The City should do something like send PWD crews out to clear uncleared sidewalks and ramps and then slap the property owner with a fine of something like $500+ every time the adjacent sidewalk needs to be cleared.
Now that corporations are
Now that corporations are saving so much money on taxes, it will only be a few years before they start providing snow removal equipment and well-paid laborers to help the city, especially in its lower income areas, with issues like this.
Does the city even have a
Does the city even have a snow removal plan other than plowing streets? I’ve never seen snow removed from a sidewalk by the city unless ppl complain, when I say complain I mean call or submit 311 complaints until they’re blue in the face.
The city has a carefully developed plan
After spending literally tens of minutes, and countless taxpayer dollars, the city came up with a comprehensive, city-wide plan for snow removal. The details of it can be found here
I filed 3 yesterday and they
I filed 3 yesterday and they all got a ticket.
Everyone may become disabled at some time in their lives
Don't assume you are one of the privileged few who will never have to deal with disability. Because everyone is at risk of ending up in a wheelchair or taking care of a parent or child in one.
And the curb cuts don't just help wheelchair users. They help people with strollers or shopping carts, among others.
Also important to prevent injuries
Anybody ever have to care for someone in a full toe to hip cast because they slipped on the ice and broke all three leg bones? (raises hand)
Anybody ever have to care for and elderly person who slipped and suffered a head injury on a poorly shoveled sidewalk? (raises hand)
How about someone who broke both arms slipping on the ice? (raises hand)
For elders, falls on ice can be lethal. For all people, falls on ice can lead to broken bones and blown out knees or cracked vertabrae that mean crutches or a wheel chair - sometimes permanently.
It isn't just about wheelchair user access - it is also about community safety.
Most people eventually become
Most people eventually become disabled. A 70 year old is more likely to be disabled then an 17 year old, but even an 17 year old can break a leg in a ski accident and be disabled at least temporarily
At Washington/Msgr Reynolds
Around 10:30pm, I was walking by and I found a man completely stuck in a snowbank in an electric wheelchair AT A SL4 BUS STOP. I immediately had to stop and help the man. It was bitter cold and this man was paraplegic, spoke very little english, and had to be in his 60s. I have no idea how long he was stuck there and who knows how long he would have been if I hadn't walked by. I understand clearing snow can cost millions of dollars but something has to be done to ensure these people are safe.
no subject
I think about the mobility challenged after every storm
I have full mobility and have taken a few falls on ice. It's horrible. I see the condition of sidewalks and intersections and am so saddened and also amazed by what these folks can accomplish.
Clean your walks people and city of Boston!
Age Friendly?
Many elderly are not able to shovel snow and can not afford to pay someone to shovel.
Snow shoveling by the elderly can cause the elderly to suffer heart attacks, aggravation of lung disease, broken hips and other broken bones and death.
Walk Boston does not care about this issue, some of them are not even Boston residents; if they cared about snow on the sidewalks they would volunteer to shovel for the elderly but they do not.
The sidewalks are city property. If shoveled sidewalks are of concern a practical solution not death or serious harm of the elderly would be needed.
Some suggestions include adopting a program such as in Cambridge which city shovels for the elderly, making snow removal a city function using machines that go on sidewalks to remove snow, and adopting the definition of abutter used by the zoning commission (300 feet) that is if they are going to require private persons to shovel city sidewalks requiring snow shoveling of the sidewalks by the young person who live in or own property within 300 feet of a single family home where all of the owners and all of occupants are elderly. Any decent neighbor would do this without asking,
Recently the city received two large grants equaling around 2 million dollars which are supposed to be used to benefit the elderly but instead they are going toward large undeserved salaries or other undeserved benefits for worthless city employees.
For example they want to use this grant money to hire person to bring the worthless elderly commission to seniors so that seniors are aware of alleged services offered by the elderly commission (though the elderly commission provides no services) because seniors are of limited mobility (ie are not able shovel snow) and without access to transportation. Have they ever heard of the telephone or internet. Most seniors have telephones and can call the elderly commission or can look up any alleged services on the internet.
The elderly commission already wastes tax payer money to pay worthless alleged advocates who do not perform any advocacy functions or provide any benefit to seniors. These worthless alleged advocates already being paid by the taxpayers could inform seniors of the elderly commissions alleged services.
The Mayor claims to have an elderly advisory committee run by this same worthless elderly commission but insists that it meet at 10AM at City Hall. This not only precludes people who work from participating but precludes those whose mobility limitations render them unable to take public transportation as parking around city hall at 10AM is difficult if not impossible or expensive. More elderly would be able to participate if the elderly advisory committee were to meet at night in a city neighborhood which has ample free parking as well as public transportation. The Mayor would not limit participation by millennials to the 10AM time slot and such undesirable time shot should not be given to the elderly either.
Can't afford to take care of your property?
Then you need to move for your own safety.
Let's revisit this in 50
Let's revisit this in 50 years when you're being bullied by the younger generation for not being physically able to shovel snow.
Not going to happen
I make plans for these things. I will sell my house and move. Simple.
Bullied?
Somehow, being EXPECTED to do your part under THE LAW that you should know about so that your neighbors don't become injured or dead is bullying?
Oh honey. You gots some real growin up to do!
A law that has a disparate
A law that has a disparate impact or disproportionate negative affect against an elderly or disabled person is an illegal law and constitutes illegal discrimination.
Different people have different abilities. Some people are physically stronger then others and some people are intellectually stronger then others. Some people lack the ability to shovel snow and some people lack the ability to read. Some people contributed more then their share when they were young but are no longer able to. As a society we expect from each according to his ability and to each according to his need.
The sidewalk is not the
The sidewalk is not the property of the homeowner it is the property of the city. If the sidewalk belonged to the homeowner they could put a fence around it and decide who could and could not enter.
Your suggestion that people should move out of their homes and impliedly the city and the world because they are elderly or disabled is the talk of a Nazi.
We no longer throw the elderly away imprisoning them in nursing homes. The emphasis now is aging in place that is the elderly continue to live in their own homes. It is better for the elder quality of life and better for the taxpayers.
I costs around $141,000.00/year to pay to keep an elderly person in a nursing home, so in 8 years that would be over a million dollars the majority of which is paid for by the government ie the taxpayers (and that doesn't include the cost of the medical care for heart attacks, aggravation of respiratory disease, broken bones etc to the elder caused by attempting to shovel).
Teenagers helping elderly to shovel
Somerville and Cambridge have programs to pay teenagers to help elderly folks clear their sidewalks. I think this is a good solution.
https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/programs/teen-snow-shoveling-pr...
https://www.cambridgema.gov/DHSP/programsforkidsandyouth/youthemployment...
As far as I can tell, Boston does not.
The city of Cambridge has a
The city of Cambridge has a program where they remove snow from the sidewalks of elderly owner occupants without charge where all of the owners and occupants are elderly. See http://www.cambridgema.gov/Snow. While this program uses city employees it could be extended for the city to pay teenagers to remove snow from the sidewalks of elderly owner occupants.
One of the reasons elders who are unable to shovel can not afford to pay someone is the amount of money some exploiters seek to charge. These are not young people looking for a few bucks.
Also it is not considered advisable for the elderly to open the doors of their homes to strangers as some people out there are criminals seeking to exploit the elderly
One agency which claims to serve the elderly but only serves themselves and does not clear sidewalks of snow requires teenagers to undergo CORI checks before contact with the elderly. This is too extreme as most high school honor students are not murder rapists. If the teen is shoveling outdoors and paid by the city there is no need for contact with the elder and thus unlikely that the elderly will be raped and murdered by the city's teenagers
Seriously
You are a sad little bunny.
See https://www.regent.edu
See https://www.regent.edu/acad/schedu/uselesseaters/text/2743414051_1.pdf'
and https://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/online-exhibitions/special...
and http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00224669020360030601?journal...
I've always wondered about
I've always wondered about this dilemma. When I had a toddler, pushing around Brookline in the winter was a nightmare. I couldn't believe that a person in a wheelchair could navigate the sidewalks and then I realized they didn't. Local wheelchair users would have to propel themselves in the street! So unsafe.
As a side note, we had the same experience in DC where the ADA was written. You can sum it up as an unfunded, uncared about mandate the essential modern USA.
Any new or renovated
Any new or renovated construction has to meet the standards. Can't help it if there's 200 years worth of non-compliant construction which has yet to be renovated or replaced yet.