Window Shopping on Wheels

I created a perfectly good solution. It would show people with disabilities that the shop owners care and hopefully turn them into customers. I called the Chamber of Commerce in Lancaster, City Hall, WGAL and the Intellligencer. No one seemed to care at all but since it's warmer out today, I will go to a business today in person. I can't imagine store owners would want the chance to increase their revenues, my idea costs almost nothing.

I would create a webpage that would include shot summaries on the inaccessible stores with their indiidual websites. Once I meet with a dozen stores and get them interested the cost of the webpage would be almost nothing. Furthermore, I would do all the initial marketing so it would be hassle free for them and more than likely increase their revenue. I know places waste thousands of dollars on unsuccessful marketing techniques so I can't imagine there would be nobody interested.

Once I get my project going I will ask a store owner, to contact the media and get this idea to spread. I probably won't have to ask, they'll do it on their own. Not only will I do this all on my own but with resistance from the media. New Approach!

Window Shopping on Wheels

Last week my friend suggested they enjoy downtown's "First Friday" activities. Since the weather was so mild and had never roamed around since just moving here in July, I was eager for the experience. Well after a few minutes my eagerness turned to disappointment. Not because I didn't like the things I saw in the stores but because I couldn't get in the store so I couldn't see much of anything that was beyond the windows. I use a motorized wheelchair to get around. Even though I am quick to assure people that I can find ways to keep the wheelchair from getting in the way, this doesn't work when faced with steps.

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted twenty - two years ago, and that's supposed to ensure that public places are accessible to people who use wheelchairs, but that is not always the answer. In today's economy cost is the bottom line and people think it is too costly to do that and if the building was built prior to the law or the business is so small that it would cause an "undue hardship" (i.e too costly) the ADA says that is an acceptable reason to leave things as they are. Business owners often hide behind these exceptions to the rule. This is unfortunate because they could increase their revenues- people with disabilities are customers too. There is a flip side to the issue.

The flip side is that people with disabilities have money to spend that is just as good as that of the customers who walk it inside the stores and some store owners find ways to accommodate. The one store Susan did enter was "Mommalicious." Once she got help to lift her chair inside, Alicia Byler, the owner apologized for the entrance and asked her if I'd like to use her portable ramp when I am ready to leave. I would never have known this had I not made the effort to get inside. I believes that many employers want to accommodate but do not know how or feel threatened by the law. The way one approach I have is to start a dialog with business owners, at a convenient time and in a neutral location of their choice, to find out what their needs actually are. I want to publish a one page website summarizing the businesses and giving their own websites. Once that happens and you show your efforts to these businesses, people with disabilities who would not normally look twice, just may become customers.