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.

Voices of Disability

Instead of just hearing about the problems the disability population has had and will continue to have I'm going to be part of the solution. When I heard these 2 facts I decided it was time to take some action so I'll no longer be at this location, please use www.voicesofdisability.blogspot.com

1) 113,000 people were cut from medical assistance in Pennsylvania. Why did this happen? It was because the government wanted to show they are clamping down on fraud. In reality, those cuts were made arbitrarily so they committed fraud. There was no case examination to detrmine that those people no longer required assistance.

2) 16,000 people are on waiting lists for some type of services. The list grows annually because every year 700 additional kids graduate from public schools only to sit home, watch television, and let their skills regress.

I'll be compiling stories of families and individuals who have experienced these types of situations. I will be developing a video of these people also. If you or someone you know wants to participate in this project please let me know. < is one place that you can write your story. You are also encouraged to contact me at 13suewheels@gmail.com

I was at an event called " Disability Networking " and I'm really quite inspired. We talked alot about how to strengthen our advocacy efforts and the movement as a whole. There was a move to combine our efforts and be more proactive in making things happen. I offered to compile stories from the thousands of people taken off medicaid to show how inequitable the system is. As far as taking what I learned back with me I'm not sure I can since my area is not likely to work together.

The project of helping parents of kids with special needs hit a snag, the lady moved. I attended a meeting in which the director from the Developemental Disability Planning Council spoke. The grant year is starting and his secretary brought a few booklets on the available grant projects for 2012. I chose a few, summarized them, and will present them to my boss. Hopefully he will be willing to consider me for this oproject, it would be found money. If he rejects them I can implement projects from the guidelines anyway. Furthermore, there are individual grants I can go for.

I met a lady who wants to start a business working as a resource for parents of kids with special needs. The best part is she's actually motivated to do this! Originally I was helping a friend who wanted to do this kind of thing on homeschooling but she kept saying she was overwhelmed. Well, I was overwhelmed listening to her say how overwhelmed she was with my ideas (we'll send her referrals). This project is going to include Infobility and Speial Ed - she has experience doing it. I can't wait to get rolling and she seems to be excited too.

Van problems again. Well, I didn't think so believe so I got the bumper fixed, I'm securely locked down to the floor,and there are no weird noises...well unless you count the non stop shrill buzz indicating the chair isn't secure. But it is. I even called Louisiana to ask if the buzz could be on for no reason (after all the parking brake light goes on but that doesn't mean the van is off). The serviceman explained how I could turn it off. I tried but it's disassembled cause Van Conversions knows I'm the only driver. So I did the inevitable an called Van Conversions. I think I bent one of the levers when getting into it in Ephrata.Still, it didn't make that sound till 2 days later. It also didn't make the sound after the rain storm when I backed it up. I'll have (my) Terry check it before I go to have (VC) Terry check it.