MOBILITY SCOOTER VS APARTMENTT COMPLEX

WITH THIS PARTICULAR CONCERN THE PHOTOGRAPHS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES QUITE WELL WITHOUT WORDS.  THE ISSUE IS THAT THE PROPERTY MANAGER REFUSES TO MAKE THE SIDEWALK ACCESSIBLE, KNOWING THAT THE TENANT HAS MULTIPLE DISABILITIES THAT INTERFERE WITH MOBILITY.  WHAT A SHAME!  WHEN IS DISCRIMINATION GOING TO END?  ONE OF THEIR EXCUSE IS THAT THE COMPLEX WAS BUILT PRIOR TO THE ADA LAWS, BUT IN 2006, 2007, AND THE SUMMER OF 2008, THEY MADE NUMEROUS SIDEWALKS ACCESSIBLE EXCEPT ONE THAT WAS MARKED FOR SUCH.  WHEN QUESTIONED THE DISABLED INDIVIDUAL WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE NOT IN A WHEELCHAIR.  EXPLAIN THAT?  YOU CAN SEE THE LETTERING ON THE SIDEWALK "HC RAMP" NEAR THE FRONT WHEEL OF THE MOBILITY SCOOTER -- YES, MOBILITY SCOOTER.  IT WAS MARKED BY THE CONTRACTORS READY TO BE DONE, BUT THE PROPERTY MANAGER STOPPED THEM.  UNFORTUNATELY, THIS PARTICULAR SAGA CONTINUES OVER THE YEARS, WHICH NOW ACCUMULATES TO ALMOST FOUR.  THE EXCUSES KEEP COMPILING, BUT NEVER SEEM TO MAKE SENSE.    EACH TIME THEY ARE QUESTIONED IN RESPECT TO THE MATTER OF ACCESSIBILITY, THEY GENERATE A DIFFERENT EXCUSE, TO INCLUDE THAT THEY PREFER I UTILIZE THE FRONT ENTRANCE OF THE BUILDING AS THEY DO NOT WANT ME TO USE THE MOBILITY SCOOTER ON THE GRASS.  ONE PROBLEM WITH USING THE FRONT ENTRANCE IS THAT THERE ARE FIVE STEPS UP INTO THE BUILDING AND THEN FOUR ADDITIONAL STEPS DOWN TOWARDS THE APARTMENT. ALL IN ALL, THERE IS A TOTAL OF NINE STEPS. FOR THE MULTI-DISABLED INDIVIDUAL IT HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE.  YET, THIS ONE PERSON KEEPS ON SMILING, MAKING JOKES, AND ADVOCATING FOR OTHERS FACING CHALLENGES GREATER THAN THEIR DISABILITY -- NON CARING HUMANS.

ON BEAUTIFUL DAYS IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER, WHEN IT IS NOT RAINING, PLUS  WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF ANOTHER MULTI-DISABLED PERSON (PICTURED IN THE PHOTO ABOVE WITH HIS SERVICE DOG), THE MOBILITY SCOOTER IS LIFTED UNTO AND OFF THE SIDEWALK.  PRIOR TO EVEN REACHING THE SIDEWALK, THE MOBILITY SCOOTER IS TAKEN OUT THE PATIO WHICH FACES THE REAR OF THE EDIFICE, GOES THROUGH AT LEAST 15 TO 25 FEET OF GRASS AS IT NAVIGATES IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SIDEWALK.  AFTERWARDS, IT MUST CONTINUE ITS TRAVELS TO THE CURB THAT IS NOT ACCESSIBLE FOR ANY TYPE OF MOBILITY DEVICE. THUS, BOTH THE MULTI-DISABLED INDIVIDUAL REQUIRING THE USE OF THE MOBILITY SCOOTER AND THE MULTI-DISABLED PERSON ASSISTING ARE FORCED TO LIFT A 166 LBS ON AND OFF THE SIDEWALK TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR DAILY LIVES.  UNFORTUNATELY, THIS METHOD HAS ONLY AGGRAVATED AND ADDED TO BOTH INDIVIDUALS ALREADY PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED BODIES.  AS FOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, THEIR SENSE OF COMPASSION IS COMPLETELY LACKING.

DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT SNOWS, IT CAN BE A HARROWING EXPERIENCE, AS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT IS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT A MOBILITY SCOOTER CAN TRAVERSE OVER SNOWY GRASS MUCH LIKE SKIES OR A SNOWBOARD. THEIR RESPONSE TO ALL THIS IS FOR THE MULTI-DISABLED TENANT TO GO OUT THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.  IT APPEARS THAT THEY ARE ALSO UNDER THE ILLUSION THAT A MOBILITY SCOOTER CAN IMPERSONATE A HELICOPTER.