Who? Us?

We are two disabled, oldish women who have been adventuring through life for years. We are talking about how disabilities, both visible and not, change the way we enjoy our retirement.

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Sorry

Reviews and opinions have been scarce around here.  We have been getting ready for a marriage!

Back soon.

Oh, did you know that marriage can be performed by any civil officiant.  Weddings are performed in places of worship.


Jan

Saturday, June 27, 2015

What a Day!

I knew that SCOTUS was going to deliver their decision this month, but was running errands yesterday morning when the decision was made public. When I got home and booted up the computer, I was gobsmacked. For the first time in my life I was a full, first class citizen of this country with all the rights that the rest of you take for granted. My long time partner and I could get legally married.  I didn't think I would feel different, but did I ever.

Will this stop the reviling, the profanities, the open and out loud hatred stop? I doubt it.  Haters will continue to hate, but we were the last people that it was OK to hate out loud. That probably won't stop because people need somebody to hate and if they don't have a group of people to hate, they will find one.  Even our own government said it was OK to beat us up, to kill us and walk free, to hurl profanities in the streets when we walked by.  We were denied services, fired from jobs and often not hired at all. During it all, we carried on, were successful people, often trend setters and in the public eye.

I saw acceptance starting to happen in the past ten years or so and states started to allow marriage.  It was seen as such a perversion that people threatened to leave the country or burn themselves up. Seemed a bit strange and I saw no smoke in the sky yesterday.  I would sincerely hope that no one set themselves on fire and they don't have many other countries to emigrate to, but if they see fit to do that, I would never stand in their way.

So as of yesterday, my partner and I can marry.  What a feeling it will be to check that little box on forms, to get our legal affairs in order and not have to form a corporation just for inheritance rights. We can file taxes as a couple, can visit each other if hospitalized and claim Social Security as spouses do.

Wonder how long it will take before marriage will just be called marriage and the words 'gay marriage' will fade from this country's vocabulary.

Sure we will still be reviled by some of you, but here we are. We're here, we're queer and we are now equal!


Celebrate with us.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Jones Realty Rating - 4


Jones Realty in Mountain View


418 E Main St #1, Mountain View, AR 72560
(870) 214-5558






Surprise, Jones Realty is accessible. There's that pesky door again, but so far all of Mountain View businesses have manual doors. Makes it tough for us scooter users, but this one is better than most. At least it doesn't have a steep ramp leading to a manual door.This is a small real estate office, so not many people are going to be in it at once. Mountain View is a very small town (under 3000 people), so most businesses are small.

All in all this is a pleasant business.

Rating - 4









Wednesday, June 24, 2015

A Special Club


It’s like a club with special membership qualifications. And I belong to it.

We drive mostly like we drive cars. We follow the rules of the road, passing on the left and pretty much staying on the right of our space unless it is already occupied by people just standing around talking on their cell phones or chatting with the friend they haven’t seen since Tuesday. 

I was shopping yesterday when I met a man who was using a scooter. We automatically said hello and started talking about the weather, the good and bad parts of our scooters, the price of groceries, the same things that you folks who are walking talk about. Of course, we did not have cell phones in our ears because, after all, we were driving.  

My point is that those of us who are mobility impaired talk to each other with no introductions needed.  Folks who walk to the store entry and walk around inside rarely have spontaneous conversation unless they already know the person they are talking with.

People who ride motorcycles are the same way. I know this because I rode one for over 45 years. Even spent a year traveling to every National Park in the country with a sleeping bag, tent, a couple of pairs a jeans, silverware, a pot and a map. All of us bikers talked to each other. If we were traveling over 50 mph, we most likely waved rather than talking, but the communication was there all the same. We didn’t bother even waving at 4 wheelers.

Time was Volkswagen drivers were the same. I think RV’ers are also the same these days.

The members of my club are always helpful, friendly and I suppose our scooters or wheelchairs are our uniforms rather like Girl Scouts.

But our uniforms are more interesting.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Hardees Rating - 4


Hardee's

604 E Main St, Mountain View, AZ 72560
(870) 269-8009








Hardees, a fast food store attached to a gas station. I know other fast food stores are attached to gas stations, so this one is no different. That way they can satisfy bathroom requirements easily.  This Hardees has a tiny yellow ramp - see in the top photo on the right. You can barely see it because it is barely there. So if you want to travel on your scooter inside, you better park close.

No, neither of those vehicles is mine. I should be so lucky.

Rating - 4





Monday, June 22, 2015

Tyler Henderson, Atty Rating - 5

J. Tyler Henderson, Attorney At Law, PLLC


213 E Washington St Suite 3, Mountain View, AR 72560
(870) 269-5774




I finally found an accessible entry.  Downtown Mountain View doesn't offer that many places that a mobility impaired person can get into. Perhaps because this is an attorney's office, he knows the law.   Or maybe he doesn't and just lucked into this office.

At any rate, anyone can go visit Tyler Henderson.

Rating - 5



Sunday, June 21, 2015

Outrage

No, I am not bitching about doors that don't open or steps that can't be climbed today.  I am stunned and outraged that yet another mass murder has taken place in our country. With a gun.  And the answers from some people is lets everybody get more guns.  If I hear that "guns don't kill people, people do," I am going to kick the speaker in the balls.  People with guns kill people. People without guns do not kill people. At least not with guns. What is it with men/boy children and guns? And killing.

And we as a country don't seem to care. We encourage more and more guns, more killing.  If anything else was a weapon that killed, we would have outlawed it years ago.  It only took 7 deaths from Tylenol before it was pulled from the shelves.

Look around you people. Look at other countries.  8 murders a year, 12 murders a year....We have 32,000 murders a year and have had for decades.

And no one gives a damn.


Saturday, June 20, 2015

Pinewood Cabins Rating - 3










Located in downtown Mountain View on Washington Street and one of the older resorts, Pinewood Cabins looks to be a comfortable place to stay. A couple of caveats. Being older means that smoking in the rooms was fine for years and now the smoke smell can never be removed. That can make it impossible for some folks to stay in a room. And of course, it is not accessible for folks in wheelchairs.  As I search this town, it's rare to see a business that is accessible. 

It seems not to be worth it to try. For a town that is dependent on tourism for its existence, seems to me that they have to turn away money daily. 
Rating - 3

Friday, June 19, 2015

First Service Bank - Rating - 3

First Service Bank

https://www.1stservicebank.com/
410 Sylamore Ave, Mountain View, AR 72560
(870) 269-7200



C'mon First Service bank, you got a handicapped parking place way down from the entrance, but no curb cut. What were you thinking. One little curb cut, cheap even and you don't have one. Or are we supposed to navigate somewhere out of the photo to an unseen curb cut and then back to the door?

You can do better with very little effort and you have not done so. That's a damned shame.

Rating - 3










Thursday, June 18, 2015

Just for You?

"Just for you? You want me to spend all that money just for you?"

From a theater that is not compliant:

I need to categorize this under reasons we are going to leave this building just as it is and disobey the law that has been in place for 25 years.  

It’s not enough that we, as disabled people are devalued at every turn, we have to hear that spending one dime on making public services available to all is counterproductive and we are just not worth it.

I heard the other day from a friend that to get to a local theater seating area was up steep steps. It obviously had to be grandfathered in because it was a historic building.  So, that means that if they put on a show worthy of Broadway in NYC, I would never be allowed to see the play because the building was old and inaccessible.  

Old or historic buildings are not exempt or grandfathered in. 

And who the hell would want any reason at all that could be dug up to keep us out. Reminds me of Orval Faubus in AR in front of a school in the 60s.  And if you don’t remember that, you are not as old as I am and  need to be reading some history, rather than wasting time reading this blog post.

But the sentiment is the same. We will keep you out if we can. We don’t want your kind in here. We don’t want your money. We just don’t want to look at you. You make us uncomfortable, uneasy. We don’t know what to say to you. Should we ask what happened to you? (No.) You see, you just don’t get it. All we want to do is see a friggin’ play. And because you think that you have special status, we can’t.


Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Church of Christ Rating - 5

1400 E Main St, Mountain View, AR, 72560





There are dozens of churches in Mountain View. All Christian with one Catholic one. Mountain View is not famous for its diversity, in fact probably infamous for its lack of it. There are three of this sort of church in town and I assume all well attended because they are still there and it takes money to keep a church going, no matter what kind is it.

With a population of under 3000 people, if everyone in town went to a different church on any given Sunday, no church could have more than 30 people in the pews. But this church is accessible.  In fact, most of them are. After all, churches want you to be there;  they need to pass the collection plate.

Rating - 5




Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Backstreet Theater Rating - 4

www.backstreettheater.com
120 Jefferson St, Mountain View, AR 72560
(870) 269-6200

Backstreet Theater is not a theater where you see plays and such. It is place to see great musicians 
perform, something Mountain View is famous for.

The building has easy access, but I have no idea what is like inside.  Often there is no space for any 
handicapped seating.  I have a nice picture of it, but once again, Blogger is acting up and not letting me 
load a picture and complaining to Google is not helping. 


I think I have figured out Blogger. It wants a two hour rest between publishing a post and allowing a photo upload. So, now you can see the Backstreet Theater.  If you ever go there, let me know what it's like inside.



Rating - 4 because I can't see inside.


Monday, June 15, 2015

Quilting Bee - rating - 5

The Quilting Bee
212 West Main St. 
Mountain View, AR 72560
http://www.quiltingbeear.com




The Quilting Bee is a charming little shop in downtown Mountain View. It offers classes in quilting, sells quilts and otherwise provides a wonderful spot for the residents of  the town to get together and quilt. The shop is totally accessible, proving that old buildings can be made accessible with little effort.  

Rating - 5

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Something Else You Never Thought Of.


Things you never think about:  Where are things in the grocery store? I know you can probably get a college degree in where to put food on the shelves to make more people buy them. I would suspect eye level is the best spot, but I don’t know for sure. But it sure as hell isn’t my eye level. To buy what I want, I have to 1) stand up, 2) bend over or 3) stretch like a cartoon character. Then the grocery store item has to come down, come up or come over and all of that and still get itself in the basket of the motorized cart provided by the grocery store. That is if the grocery store provides carts, if there is one available or if it is working. Or how much working does it have left - grocery carts usually die at the opposite end of the store from your car. A kind employee offers to transfer all you have to a regular cart, but think about it, how much good is that. Solution: Bring your own cart, but I digress.  

Back to groceries. If you want something that is not a store brand, it will be on the top shelf, the very top. It’s tempting to bring a grabber/reacher along but those things can fail if you want a can of something. Think can on floor and hope the drop does not dent the can irretrievably.  Or land on the bananas you carefully put in the cart earlier.    

Or the Chow Mein Noodles are behind the tacos and they are breakable, the tacos, not the noodles. So things must be moved so you can get to them. As these are usually at eye level, the moving of items can cause messy problems that bring the store manager running your way.

Speaking of difficult to access products, how about the freezer doors. Forget about the frozen broccoli.  You can see it behind the glass door. When you get the store scooter in place to open the freezer door, you can’t reach the broccoli, and to get back to the broccoli, you have to let go of the door and we all know what happens then.

About the only hope you have at that point is if somebody comes along to hold the door. Problem there is they usually want to reach in and hand  you the broccoli. No, not the whole broccoli, the packages of just the florets. Then comes the look of “why are we paying for your indulgences.” You see, everyone assumes that we are public burdens because obviously we could never have earned a living as tax paying humans. We must be supported by the door opener who pays taxes. 

But possibly the worst problem is during any holiday or special season of the year. A store can be 100% ADA compliant until anything special comes along.  Those aisles that could easily be driven down are now clogged with merchandise. Huge barbecue grills, lawnmowers, outdoor furniture block the way at every turn. Or the stockers use the entire aisle with carts full of cereal boxes.
As the holiday merchandise gets closer every year and the stores want to sell more and more, shelf space goes to the top of the distributors list and we are forced to move around the lawmowers, then the leaf bags, segueing to end of summer/school supplies, then to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas that have snugged up together like what used to suburbs and are now spread out into huge metro areas. 

The aisles are crammed full and there we are back where we started pre ADA. 

No matter the laws regarding accessibility, business owners really don't follow them. The person with a disability is devalued in so many ways and this is one of the big ones. 


Saturday, June 13, 2015

Styles For A Steal

213 E Washington St, Mountain View, AR 72560
(870) 269-7070



An upscale consignment shop, Styles for a Steal nails accessibility. Easy parking, no steps or other impediments to getting through the door. This store is located in a tiny strip mall with several other stores and they are all accessible. Now if they would only make the doors self opening. Guess we can't have everything.

Rating - 5


Friday, June 12, 2015

Framesmith - Rating - 1

Framesmith
305 W Main St.
Mountain View AR 72560


http://www.arkansasframesmith.com






An innovative reuse of a house in downtown Mountain View, Framesmith is attractive, cute even, but once again, accessibility is not there. With someone to hold and door open and someone else to give the wheelchair a good shove over the threshold, maybe, but perhaps the problems to get in would not be worth it.  In this case, the fix would be incredibly easy and cheap, I wonder why it isn't done.

C'mon Framesmith, welcome everybody, not just the folks who can walk.

rating - 1

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Is the ADA working?

In a word, no.  This is a list of mandatory actions on the part of a business and what happens if you file a complaint. It seems to work like a typical gov't   bureaucracy which, as you know, is frustrating and not very effective.


From the ADA. Rules that MUST be followed:

The Americans with Disabilities Act may have been passed over 23 years ago, but apparently that still isn’t enough time for society to get their act together when it comes to following all aspects of the law. ADA violations happen every day all over the country with many businesses feeling the ultimate sting of not complying – being shut down.
But being shut down doesn’t have to be the end result. The government gives plenty of time to businesses to do what is right, however there are still some businesses out there who refuse to comply no matter how much time is given. For them, and the oblivious businesses still in the Dark Ages, here are the 10 most common ADA violations (That need to stop).


1) No accessible entrance

One of the most notorious ADA violations by far – not providing a ramp or some other kind of accessible entrance to their facility. Every private building serving the public no matter it’s age must be made accessible. There is no “Grandfather Clause” exempting older buildings, despite what many people say. The ADA requires all private buildings serving the public to have an accessible entrance, but there are thousands of businesses across the country who refuse to comply. Take a spin through Manhattan and you’ll see exactly what I mean or in one of the millions of small towns across country. Stores with stairs or even with a too-high lip at the entrance are sadly everywhere.
It’s really no wonder many people with disabilities have sued businesses for this particular violation, with many even keeping their lawyer on speed dial because they live in such a small town and want to remain independent.
2) Baby strollers in the wheelchair spot on city buses
If you take public transportation, you’ve probably noticed the wheelchair spots in the front of the bus where there are no seats. This vicinity is meant for wheelchair-users only, however many people toting around a baby in a stroller have been known to park their strollers in these spots, loving the easy access. Despite what many parents may believe, wheelchair-users aren’t required to give up their spots for strollers.
3) Bathrooms not accessible.
Another major ADA violation that can really put a wrench in someone’s plans is not providing a fully accessible bathroom. Businesses are required to provide both an accessible way to enter their facility, as well as a bathroom with one stall a wheelchair-user can use. This can be an expensive renovation, since many small details are required to make it accessible, but it must be done.
4) No van accessible parking spot.
Even the smallest business is required to provide at least one accessible van parking spot, yet this remains a common ADA violations and one that infuriates me personally. When you use a van with a ramp, it can be very easy to get blocked in by other people. The spots also need to be clearly marked, as well as the crosshatch for the ramp, and that means more signage other then paint on the ground (since snow ) can cover it up in a matter of minutes.
5) Cruise ship inaccessibility.
Starting in 2005, the ADA now applies to all cruise ships docking at U.S. ports, but many are slow to the take. This change in the law is a great thing for the millions of wheelchair-users who love going on cruises, since they’re a great style of trip for people with disabilities, but it will still take quite a while for all ships to comply.
From installing lower door thresholds, more accessible rooms to elevators that go to every floor of the ship, as well as automated pool lifts (love these), cruise ships are slowly becoming more accessible. Carnival however is one of the worst violators.
6) Fired/Not hired because of a disability.
Many people wrongly assume the ADA forces an employer to hire people with disabilities even if there aren’t qualified, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The ADA only requires a business interviewing perspective employees not to turn down someone because of a disability since providing reasonable accommodations is required by the ADA. There are some jobs of course where reasonable accommodations don’t apply, like a quadriplegic trying to be a construction worker, but in general this is against the law.
And the same goes in the face of being fired or let go. The disability must not come into play for any reason, except work performance.
7) Business owners refusing service dogs.
In a recent blog post of ours, the story of a Iraq veteran with a service dog for PTSD definitely rustled a lot of feathers. A restaurant owner didn’t want to serve the veteran because of his dog, making him leave, despite the fact that the veteran called police and showed the owner the man’s service dog papers. The ADA is very strict in this – any service animal is allowed to accompany its owner no matter what and even better, showing “certification papers” isn’t a requirement.
8) Gas station doesn’t assist with pumping gas.
While some states don’t let anyone pump gas, like in New Jersey and Oregon, the rest of the country can pump their own gas, however people disabilities can call into the station and request assistance. Many gas stations however will claim they don’t have enough employees or are too busy to help. The ADA requires all stations to provide gasoline fueling assistance, if requested.
9) Cluttered and narrow store aisles.
Shopping (or trying to) at stores that don’t take into consideration wheelchair-users is a very common ADA violation and one that many storeowners ignore rampantly. The ADA requires that no aisle is a store be less than 36″ wide.
10) Too steep/no curbcuts.
An ADA violation you see time and time again are businesses without any curb cuts or even entire cities that don’t have them. Providing curb cuts on every block is required by the ADA, despite businesses and cities bemoaning the cost of installing them. Otherwise, they will install a mediocre curb-cut, but it’ll be too steep and dangerous to use.
ADA violations only happen because business owners don’t understand or respect how vital the law is to our independence. If all of them became disabled, just imagine how things would change. I could finally get into the 1930′s steakhouse by my mom’s like a “normal person” and not a sack of potatoes. Now that would be the day.

So you decide to take action against a business that flagrantly disregards ADA rules and regulations.  You can do this online at:
http://www.ada.gov/filing_complaint.htm


Then you wait about 8 months.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Roller Crouch Funeral Home Rating - 5

Roller-Crouch Funeral Care
405 Peabody Avenue, Mountain View, AR 72560
(870) 269-3210







Roller Crouch, the only funeral home in Mountain View that I am aware of, is most certainly 
accessible. These folks are experts at providing service to everyone. Because all people will
need their services at some point, and all those folks have friends and family, the services
must be available to everyone. Parking is easy, entering is easy.  Everything is covered in 
terms of accessibility. 
Rating - 5

Monday, June 8, 2015

Jackson Hewitt Rating - 5

Jackson Hewitt Tax Preparation
211 E Washington St, Mountain View, AR 72560
(870) 269-7676


Speaking of taxes and we were, weren't we? There's another tax preparation service in town. I don't use it because I get mine done for free at the Senior Center in Fairfield Bay AR. That's one unpleasant task that doesn't cost money to get done anymore. See, there are some advantages to getting old.



At least they make it easy for you to get inside. A little ramp to get over the threshold easily is in place. I don't know why the other stores don't do this. Easy and it works. One ramp and voila, they are in compliance.
So Jackson Hewitt makes it easy for you to give them money and in return, you have satisfied your obligations to Uncle Same.

Rating - 5

Sunday, June 7, 2015

What About Before?


Was I always disabled?  No, I wasn't.  Not all that long ago, I was a mountain climber, a traveler who found places that most travelers never did see. Tofino, for example. Tofino is on the far west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. What you see below is what you have to walk over to get to the Pacific Ocean. It was wonderful, both the beach and the rocks to traverse. 




So what happened?  On December 24th 2011, I fell on the ice in my own driveway. Flat on my back. It was a pratfall that could hardly be duplicated by a stunt person in a movie.
 I struggled to walk after that and I still can for a few steps and then I must sit down. In a chair that moves. 

The photo below is Nye Beach in northern California.  Wheelchairs or scooters don't travel well on sand beaches, so my friends could walk on the beach while I watched from above. Magnificent, isn't it. But wouldn't it be wonderful to put bare toes in the water there? 






At least, my legs worked well for the first 69 years of my life. I traveled, climbed, walked, worked and had a fantastic time while doing them all.

Perhaps more travels to come? I do hope so, but would love it if more parks, accommodations and restaurants were accessible......maybe someday.





Saturday, June 6, 2015

Mountain View Revenue Department Rating - 5


Mountain View Revenue Office

205 West Jefferson
Mountain ViewAR 72560-0365



870-269-3436

Sounds really official, doesn't it, but, it really is where you get your driver's license. It's completely accessible.  Even the counters are right for people who live sitting down can easily use them.  The check out lanes are Walmart are not as well set up as the Department of Revenue.

Blogger is not allowing me to load pictures again today, so maybe later. This building is ugly, squat and square, but hey, it works.

Makes one wonder. In the early morning when I do this blog, Blogger will not let me add a photo. Now at 2p CDT, Blogger says, "OK, try it again. I might or might not let you upload"  Not that this is an example of fine architecture, but I told you that already. It works and that's what I care about.



Rating - 5


Friday, June 5, 2015

Fast Food? Well, Yes

Have you noticed that every single fast food restaurant is accessible to everyone? There is no obstacle to entering, the bathrooms are completely accessible, grab bars, tall toilets, sink handles can be operated with one hand. If you have some weakness in your hands, possibly arthritis, you can still turn the water off and on with no problem.  Aisles are wide and easy to maneuver no matter what sort of mobility device you might use.  You can get to the counter to order, pick up knives, spoons, napkins easily with no help. Absolutely a perfect example of accessibility, those fast foods joints are.  Too bad they serve such unhealthy food.

Since the first fast food place I remember opened in Spring Lake, Michigan in 1955, they have been accessible. When hamburgers, fries and a shake were 15 cents each, they were accessible. Ray Kroc must have been psychic and a shrewd businessman. He realized before anyone else that his business must serve everyone. That was in America’s so called glorious 50’s, the era we all wish to return to. Auntie was still relegated to her chair in her bedroom, but dammit, Ray wanted her as a customer, so he built his restaurants for everyone.

Every fast food restaurant that followed McDonald’s has been accessible. Before the law, before we were recognized as real people, not as a burden to ourselves and others. We were never considered to have a job, a real paying job, not in a sheltered workshop somewhere. Funny, now we are. We have jobs as lawyers, teachers, CEOs, machine operators, or most anything we choose. And we spend money even it is on fast food.

 Twenty five years ago when accessibility became the law, fast food restaurants could lean back and relax knowing full well they were already complying with the ADA rules and regulations and had been for some 50 years already.


Wise business people those fast food folks.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Edgemont Video rating - 5

And here you thought I had disappeared. Not a chance. My poor Mac had to be sent to Urgent Care so  a tech there could make it work properly again.
Edgemont Video is the one spot in town that can fix computers, so there it went.  Matt is a competent tech, so all is well again.

Edgemont Video,Inc.

www.edgemontvideo.com/
211 Washington Suite #1 Mountain View, AR 72560











This morning  Blogger has decided not to load any photographs, so you are going to have to take my word for it. Edgemont is totally accessible, the door is wide and can be entered easily. The lobby is easy to negotiate and the tech is right there ready to listen.  I found Matt to be personable, not threatened by little old ladies and ready to listen.  Even with no pictures Edgemont is totally accessible.

And later, Blogger decided to cooperate and I was allowed to upload a pic of Edgemont Video. Go figure.

Rating - 5

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

J & J SATELLITE & COMMUNICATIONS
1112 E. Main Street
Mountain View, AR 72560
1-800-742-4728


Good thing they come to your house to install the dish and you don't have to go inside the store to pick out your dish because you can't get in the door. Seems to me that Dish TV would not even need a storefront because everyone calls to subscribe to Dish. The installer is local and that's nice.  It means that repairs are done immediately and there is not much of an interruption in service.

Rating - 1

Monday, June 1, 2015

Dobbins Financial Group Rating - 1

Dobbins Financial Group Inc