When one door shuts...

 Another one opens, right? 

It all depends. Some doors present a not so pleasant message.

   Among those doors are ones that have stairs leading to them. In some cases, lots of stairs. In my days of carrying a cane, this wasn't especially troublesome. I was one of the fortunate ones who could do stairs. The door itself generally wasn't too much of a problem, unless I was carrying something. Then I had no free hand to open the door once I arrived at my destination. But now that I have progressed to using walkers, rollators or a mobile scooter, the stairs are impossible. None of those devices handle stairs very well (I should know, I've tried). Wheels and stairs are just not a good combination.

   I'm very thankful for those buildings that have alternative entrances with ramps, but unfortunately, they are not always readily available. Some require special passkeys (nothing like sitting outside a locked door in the rain and trying to track down someone to open it) while others need an operator available to utilize the equipment installed. Often times, these entrances are hard to find due to lack of signage.

   Other places have accessible doors, but getting to those doors is sometimes a challenge. Individuals often don't recognize the need to keep accessible entry clear for those who require it. Accessible parking to accessible entries is often treated more as a convenience rather than a necessity. It literally is impossible for individuals with mobility equipment, to get said equipment in and out of their vehicles without the extra space. This renders otherwise accessible buildings completely inaccessible.

Then there is just poor design.

   This was the entry to the accessible bathrooms at a national park. (There was a sign out front the building guiding folks to this accessible restroom.) Not only did the pillar in the center of the entryway make navigating difficult for a wheelchair or mobility scooter, but the step provided a unique challenge. Kudos for painting the stair so it was noticeable, but seriously, shaving the cement to provide a ramp might have been a better solution.

   Not to mention the bathroom itself, with the narrow aisle between the stalls and sinks to get to the accessible bathroom stall at the far end with the door that didn't lock.

Getting to the door is the first step. Getting the door open is an altogether different challenge.

Image from Butterfly MX

   Fortunately, engineers have developed door openers for doors that do
not automatically open (like at the grocery store). They are relatively inexpensive and not to difficult to install. I was extremely grateful when my church installed one. It meant I no longer had to reach around/over my mobility device and attempt to wrangle the door open. Depending on the door, my efforts were not always successful.

   Now, if I could just convince facilities to put these on the bathroom doors... it seems that those are the heaviest doors ever installed as well as typically the most difficult spaces to maneuver into!

   Thankfully, builders and designers are becoming more conscious of accessibility needs and we are seeing improvements in newer buildings and changes in older ones. Nevertheless, I always recommend looking up venues before you go and checking out accessibility as well as calling before your planned visit to mitigate any difficulties you might encounter just entering the premises and eliminate any unexpected surprises.

   Which is exactly what I plan on doing for my next adventure!

All pictures are my own, unless otherwise specified in the captions.