My musings on New York City and public bathrooms

I follow a fellow blogger named Marc, known as the Wheelchair Kamikaze. He lives in New York City and does these wonderful videos around the city. His latest is a tour of Central Park.
It is a wonderful visit complete with the terrible pavement and bad curb cuts.

I am a native New Yorker, born and bred. Ya know, I can remember when the curb cuts were mandated by law.... geez! has it been that long ago? Those curb cuts in Central Park must have been put in some 30 odd years ago.


I never really gave much thought to handicapped people and/or the laws enacted to help them. That is until I became disabled. Now I am very conscious of said laws. However, I think most places with bathrooms never consulted a person in a wheelchair! There are some bathroom stalls meant for handicapped, that mebbe on a good day, I can get me and my wheelchair into. That is, provided I somehow manage to back my wheelchair in, lock the stall door and then become a contortionist in trying to get to the toilet. Who are we kidding here?


There are other bathrooms that you are required to park the wheelchair outside the stall door, somehow, by sheer force, get into the stall and hope by all that is holy that no one steals the chair while you are tending to business. Being of the feminine persuasion, I rarely go anywhere without a handbag. Ah, yo, while trying to do all of this manuevering I am trying to hang on to my handbag at the same time... I definitely need another hand or two.

I have to say, it is rare these days to find a public place that has not made an effort to accomodate the handicapped. We should be applauded for our efforts, but, we must keep ever vigilant, there is always the fool that wants to repeal laws that are in the public interest.