my ignorance in things I took for granted like uneven sidewalks

Thank you Christa, for that fantastic blog.  Some of the things instilled in me by the different Fathers I've had over the years have been enlightening.  Canada and the United States like to think they are "light years" ahead of everyone else.  In many regards that is true -- but in other regards it isn't.  I know how some people may negatively react to this statement, but what an Altar Boy picks up at a Catholic Parish, with a union coal-miner for a dad and a maid for a mother in a quasi-Socialist country about "handicapped" people (Ireland) is sure different than what he learns in a quasi-"Religious" Republican society like America!  American Folks cluck their tongues and long for the days of the 'good-ole Country church' where they walked up 16 stairs to get inside, and sigh that it doesn't exist anymore.  Irish people see a building like the 'good-ole Country church' and realize a ramp needs to be built at the front door so EVERYONE can get inside!

I have an aunt who has trouble walking.  She has to use the handicap bathroom because of her rheumatoid athritis (she can hardly bend even with hip and knee replacements).  One day, we went out to dinner and a play.  She goes into the handicapped stall and calls out.  I can't get up. the floor is too slippery (she's in sneakers so she's done everything she can but the floor is just too slippery).  She and I have a great relationship so I offer her to go under the door and help her up.  She accepts.  And this is what i had to do.  I had to pull her up while keeping her feet in place so she wouldn't slip.

Needless to say we told the restaurant people about their floors.

Around where I live things are pretty good.  the handicapped parkings are in good spots.  Usually, they closest to the doors.

While I lived in Quebec city, they had young family parking spaces, too, right next to the handicapped ones.  they were for pregnant women as well as families with small infants.  This concept isn't spreading as fast as I would have liked.  It's not as popular here in the Ottawa area but I have seen it at malls.

Great topic!  I have to admit that thanks to my aunt, I notice all those things like access to buildings and parking spaces.  I always wonder how she would fare if she were there.

Great topic, Christa!

One positive thing I have noticed around where I live is that all new buildings are installing handicap buttons at their entrances and exits.  That way the door will open when the button is pushed. 

My children and I like to walk down to the lake when the weather is nice.  We only have to cross one busy road/intersection to get there; the rest is all side streets.  The intersection has stop lights and walking signals.  One thing that always makes me livid is when we get our turn to walk across, but can't because the folks aren't paying attention, and they are driving across our walkway.  And eventually we make a mad dash across.  What about the people who cannot make a mad dash?  I guess that's more of a society issue than government....but people need to pay attention.  I don't think they would sleep well if they hit us.  Sorry, I guess that's a little off topic.

Our grocery stores do not have in front of store handicap parking.  You do have to cross where everyone is driving.  Back in California where I used to live, there was always front row handicap parking....and some places had "stork" parking, like Kel was talking about above.  I remember loving those parking spots when I was eight to nine months pregnant. 

Katherine...I agree, one would think banks would want to make it as easy as possible to get your money.

Christa, I hate crowds too....I was in Wal-Mart over the weekend, doing my Easter shopping, and I know exactly what you are talking about.

Take Care,

Tammy

Christa, I don't know anything about the scooter but I think the controls are usually by hand & it is located for easy access by the person using the scooter.  Also, I wanted to add that here in California lots of the handicapped spaces have a wide marked area that gives people a place to put their wheelchair while getting out of the car and getting settled into the chair/scooter or to get a hold on the walker.  It gives them an area where they aren't in danger of getting in the way of a car door or someone parking to close to their vehicle.  I hope I made that clear as to what I mean!

Happy Easter weekend to all.  Great discussion.  I'm glad to see so many people here making comments.

that basically had a handicapped person saying "If you take my spot, take my handicap with it"

What we need to remember is that all handicaps are not visible
and somebody not visibly handicapped who parks in a handicap spot is
proclaiming loudly and clearly that he is mentally handicapped or
socially handicapped, and that degree of selfishness and disregard for
others is a MAJOR handicap!

When I see well-dressed men and women
in big company cars (with logos advertising the company) park in
handicapped spots, I note the company name and phone number, the car
reg and then I phone up the company, ask to speak to their PR director,
let him note the car reg details and then congratulate him on the
company's behalf for awarding such an important position in the company
to a handicapped person. If he says "ah but Mr so-and-so isn't
handicapped" I reply that he must be, that no executive of such a great
company would give them such bad and Politically Incorrect publicity as
to park in an undeserved handicapped spot. And add that I sincerely
hope that the person in question never discovers what it's like to need
the handicapped space and find it occupied by some other selfish,
impatient, rushed, inconsiderate, egocentric person. It's quite amusing
to hear the spluttering and the embarrassed silence on the other end
before I take pity on the PR director and hang up.

As for buildings, a lot of buildings pay lip service to the code
that requires handicapped accesses and facilities, but I've always
maintained they should either have them tested by handicapped people
prior to handover or get the building inspectors to use wheelchairs
and/or glasses to reduce their eyesight to legally blind levels so they
can "see" for themselves what the problems are. Because some new
buildings have been so badly designed that they're not up to code,
though officially they fulfil all the statutory requirements.

Hugs

Sadhbh

to me that's criminal ....

Sadhbh, thank you for stepping up ..... it's amazing what a little shame can do to "open" up some eyes to see the plight of others ..... people today are so wrapped up in their won lives they don't know how to slow down and look around and become aware of their environment .... and usually those are the people that when they break a leg and suddenly discover that their favourite places don't accommodate them, scream the loudest  ... I am thankful though that eventually most people do "see"

 and yes, not all disabilities can be seen ..... be they physical or mental .... so one needs to remember always to show everyone the respect they themselves would like to receive ....

I've had a continuing battle with my older brother since my Dad passed away in 2005 .... he stays with Mom often in the winter as he runs a snow plowing co. in our hometown .... I had to go out and buy two snow shovels ... one for the top of the stairs, so he could use it on his way down ... and one for the bottom of the stairs that he could use it as he went up ... and then he'd still just walk on by and say I'm in a rush now but I'll get to it later ..... all it takes is 2 minutes to clear a path that is safe to walk on .... no, he has to trample down the snow because he's in a hurry and this only turns it into ice .... so I had to shame him .... I asked him how much I needed to pay him a week to make sure Mom's steps and path were snow free and ice free .... and that I needed him to promise that Mom was his first customer, not anyone else and that I knew I'd have to pay for that extra service ... he got angry and said I was being ridiculous and that no one had to pay ... I said yes I did, because I needed to know that Mom would always come first, and paying customers seemed to mean more to him than she did .... well, sometimes "shame" works ... it opens eyes  ..... just in January Mom slipped on the steps (her fault not anyone else's, wrong shoes) and she ended up with 3 stitches to the back of her head but could so easily have broken her hip or worse  ...

we need to "open" our eyes and see the hazards around us .... a few minutes is all it takes to make a path safe or to remove obstacles that can harm someone  .... the results of an accident can be so scarey, esp. with the elderly .... if you become immobilized and can't get up that's when pneumonia can set in, and if you have a weakened immune system that can kill .... all because someone didn't move that shovel five more times