For most people when they decide to go for a night on the town all they really have to discuss is what everyone wants to do and when they’re free. However my friends and I have a completely different task at hands. Not only do we have to discuss the usual formalities, we have to consider the accessibility of the situation.
First thing first-where are we going? This has EVERYTHING to do with planning. You can’t just say “hey Tyvee grab your bag let’s go” and I jump up and go. I need to know exactly where you intend on taking me because I need to decide my mobility method ( wheelchair or leg brace and cane).After deciding on my means of mobility, I have to then look at the schematics of things. If i walk how much walking is involved( for example walking at the mall is out of the question; but going out for dinner and lunch or dinner walking would be perfectly fine)
After we decide where it is we’re going, I take my friends into the “if you were in a wheelchair could you…” mindset. If they linger on the question a little too long, it is usually decided that the location is in fact NOT accessible and I can either decided not to go at all or everyone decides that we will all stay home together.
Crowd control is another major issue that effects my outings more than others. if its too many people my mobility could be impaired due to limited space (never even thought of that huh?).
My friends and my trajectory for planning outings has changed a lot in the past 3 years. We now plan for the accessibility of the area, something that most people don’t usually take into consideration.
