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davidgillon) wrote2017-11-16 10:42 pm
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2 hour meeting with the Rochester High Street Traders forum and the councillor for the high street ward this morning. It actually went well, and we got our point across that they just hadn't understood what is an issue for wheelchair users. I'm not 100% happy with their idea of putting ramps down as a solution to stalls blocking the pavement. They'll let wheelchairs have access, but they'll be a horrendous trip hazard, particularly for the VI community. I'm not convinced "well, all the stalllholders have £5m insurance" is the ideal response to a safety risk, but the councillor agreed it needs to be discussed with the Highways department.
But it's just as well I took my friend Sue along, both for the powerchair perspective, and because otherwise I might have punched someone. Every time I tried to explain why something was an issue for manual wheelchair users, one of the traders jumped in to cut me off and say "No, it isn't". You can imagine how well that went down with me. Apparently it isn't entirely his fault, it's an aspect of his vascular dementia, but it was making it almost impossible to get our message across. Fortunately Sue recognised what was going on and dragged him off into a side-discussion.
Best moment:
Sue to Cllr: We've not met, but you may know my name.
Cllr: Hmm?
Sue: Sue G
Cllr: {Goes white}
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Small rubber ones can be ****great****,
giant metal ones can be ...difficult.
I once used a temporary steep metal wheelchair ramp, and ended up with all my powerchairs left wheels hanging out into empty space off the side of the ramp, while the right wheels were on the ramp.
If I hadn't
a) been able to get out of my powerchair and stand up to reduce the weight of the powerchair, and to steer the powerchair while standing up;
b) had my partner with me to help wrangle the powerchair
I genuinely have NO IDEA how we would have fixed it without calling the fire brigade...
Even as it was, it was a massive physical undertaking,
plus the sudden wrenching stop/swing when the wheels fell off the ramp wrenched my lower back, injuring it, and I needed weeks and weeks of physiotherapy at $122 a visit...
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For a wheelchair on its own, you're sitting at about a 20 degree down angle facing the kerb - which is why we can't get up, we're having to tilt an extra 20 degrees.
A 1m ramp could bridge kerb to camber, and actually give pretty much level access.
The problem is, customers at the stall will be standing in the gutter to be served. They'll turn to the side to walk away, the ramp will be below their eye-line, instant insurance claim.
Cllr: "We could do them without lips at the side, that would reduce the trip hazard"
Me: "Pretty sure the standard requires lips" (precisely to stop the falling off the edge scenario).
Cllr: "Oh, I'm not so sure*, but I'll have Highways check it out".
And that's without considering the VI community.
Utter Pain: "Oh, their dog will see it"
Me and Sue in horrified synchrony : "Only a tiny minority of people with visual impairments have guide dogs"
Utter Pain "{huff}I work with Guide Dogs for the Blind**" (and clearly have learnt nothing).
*There are different standards in different places, there may actually be scenarios where a lipless ramp is legal, so technically he may not be wrong, but it's by no means ideal.
** The charity that provides guide dogs in the UK. My guess would be he's liaised with them on dementia issues
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My powerchair spun around rapidly when the left wheels went off the ramp, and I thought I was going to fall...
and then I thought the wheels had FALLEN OFF THE POWERCHAIR, instead of off the ramp, for a minute... which was HORRIFYING, because god knows how long CAEP (Community Equipment Program) would take to fix my powerchair if that happened... to save them money, they don't keep spare parts on hand, they order them as-needed, which takes ages...