HOI News (WHOI, channel 19) has been looking at how well the City of Peoria meets handicap accessibility standards — specifically for those in wheelchairs. Reporter Jessica Wheeler actually tried getting around town in a wheelchair, and she found out it’s not easy.
They’ve aired a couple of reports called “Wheelchair Challenge” — you can see/read them here and here. I found this information compelling:
There are 7,642 corners in the city, of those- just 387 have the new A.D.A. ramps that became standard in 2004.
2,603 have the old A.D.A. style ramps.
1,143 of the corners have no ramps at all.
1,801 have ramps that don’t meet A.D.A. Standards.
While the other 1,708 have no sidewalks at all.
That means just 5% of the city’s corners meet the new A.D.A. standards.
Something the new Peoria Public Works Director says will be addressed.
I have to admit, I never realized the city’s ADA accessibility for sidewalks was as deficient as it is. In all the talk about putting in sidewalks for able-bodied high schoolers so they (presumably) won’t walk in the middle of the street, it’s amazing that this kind of inaccessibility for the disabled among us hasn’t been given a higher profile during the budget process.
Kudos to HOI for raising awareness of this need.
There are even some corners with ramps but no sidewalk – a ramp to grass.
We have a resident who uses a motorized scooter to get around. The front sidewalk is in poor repair with no accessibility. The side street has no sidewalk and the area where people would normally walk is dirt and is difficult for a wheelchair or scooter to drive through esp. when wet. therefore they have to use the street which can cause traffic issues.
Here’s a link to what is required by ADA for curb cuts – if it’s an old road that hasn’t been altered (resurfacing counts)since 1992 – then there are less stringent standards.
http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap6toolkit.htm
I often see a woman in a motorized wheelchair crossing University near, but not at, McClure – so she can use the driveways as curb cuts.
ADA corners?? This is typical of Peoria, focus on spending money to meet regulations, rather than dealing with reality. In a lot of places, crossing the street for an able-bodied person is an adventure at best. Between cars, trucks, the occasional mugger, and the condition of the sidewalk (if it exists), why do you think there are so many drive-thrus in this town?
“why do you think there are so many drive-thrus in this town?”
I thought it was because we’re too lazy to get out of our cars. 😛
Its not because we are too lazy to get out of our cars. Its because we are time starved. We only have so much time to do so many things so we chose the fastest most expident way of fitting everything into our lives. Some of it is good and some isn’t. That also includes speeding from one point to another, much to the consternation of pedestrians or those in wheelchairs or on crutches or have other disabilities that are trying to navigate our world. Curb cuts for pedestrians don’t make a big difference if the sidewalks and streets are in disrepair and you are trying to navigate speeding drivers.
Time-starved? I’ve parked my car, gone inside, and emerged with my order before the guy I would have been behind in line at the drive thru has been given his order.
Billy’s right. I’ve done it many times. Just a few days ago, there was a very long line at the drive-thru. I parked almost at the door, walked in, there was no wait at the counter, and I had my order and was one my way before half the drive-thru line was served.
And the order was correct to boot (how often have you driven away only to find your order was incorrect/incomplete/mixed up with somebody else’s/ect.?
That’s great as long as you don’t have a couple of tired, hungry, cranky kids in the car with you.
Yes, once in a while you can park, walk into a fast food joint, wait for your order while they scurry to get the driveup orders ready, and get out before the last car in line pulls away… they pander to the drive-thrus, and yes, I’m too lazy to get out of my car. Why wouldn’t I be? When time is strapped and I can sit in my car, why would I want to go in?
I look at the ADA and sidewalks on this week’s episode of Perils For Pedestrians.
Tuesday, November 27, The Universityhouse Channel will show Episode 138 of “Perils For Pedestrians” — “The ADA and Sidewalks”.
Contents of Episode 138 (2007):
–The Coordinator of Research at the US Access Board explains how the Americans With Disabilities Act applies to sidewalks.
–A lawyer in Barden v. Sacramento discusses the lawsuit, which determined that sidewalks are a government program covered by the ADA.
–A plaintiff in Barden v. Sacramento describes the negotiations that led to the settlement.
DISH Network Channel 9411 — The Universityhouse Channel
Tuesday — 9:30 PM Eastern, 6:30 Pacific
Episode 138 is also available on Google Video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6783218059010695745
Note: Public access cable channels are showing different episodes than DISH Network.
Thank you.