WHEELS FOR LIFE ~ At Odds in the Big Apple

At odds in the Big Apple: How accessible is the city that never sleeps?

Before I begin on the contents of this blog, I hope you all had a fun filled Halloween.

Throughout my life I have always prided my self on how many obstacles I have overcome. How I have learned to live my life with more humor than sorrow. As I grow older I realize how much things around me have changed and how much some things remain the same. What I come to just accept is that is the dichotomy of life.

Recently, I was feeling super excited to have another Art Therapy job interview and was feeling quite confident that I was prepared. And perhaps I might get the position this time. As I dressed that morning, I said a quick prayer that all would go well on the interview that day. To my dismay when I arrived at the site for the interview there was one small step to get inside the building and about five steps to get into the building’s lobby. I understood at that moment I would have to advocate for my needs of accessibility. I began to dial the interviewers number on my cell phone. I realized the interviewer had never read my cover letter or email stating that in fact I was a wheelchair user and that I would need an accessible work site. After chatting with her on the telephone trying to explain the situation. She agreed to come out side and meet with me for a moment. On meeting face to face it seemed as though my physical presence was more of topic of conversation than whether I would be able to have an interview. As of this day I have not heard from the young woman or her organization again.

Back in September of this year, a friend and I made our way down 8th Avenue to the West 34th Street train station. Feeling absolutely ecstatic that I was about to take my third train ride of my adult life. Just two weeks prior I boarded the A train at West 14 Street with no qualms at all, the elevator worked, the Autogate worked, the platform was leveled and to say the least it was a very smoothed ride. So surely I thought this train ride would be similar to the last. To my surprise my friend and I never made it on any of the three A trains that cruised down the station. We ventured up and down the platform trying to find a level boarding area so that I could in fact get on to the train. Each time that I tried it seemed to be a no go as they say, instead of having a one on one session at the Children’s Hospital uptown. We headed out of the train station a bit baffled.

While I could become completely discouraged and defeated by experiences of injustices and barriers that one will inevitably face because of their physicality or cognition. I choose not. Truthfully, in the moment of such instances I have feelings of frustration and sadness that I cannot just move about as everyone else can. When I think back to my childhood there were moments when I could not even take public transportation because there was no lift, or the lift did not work, or the drivers had no idea how to operate the lift. I reflect back on how far New York City has come in trying to make more things accessible according to ADA laws like historical buildings, stores, buses, trains, streets, and ferries.

I am thankful for the enormity of change that has taken place in my life time and encourage the areas that remain stagnate in embracing change to see the need for equality of all patrons.