Restaurant Accommodations Should Be for Everyone

Restaurant Accommodations Should Be for Everyone
I began to use a wheelchair in 1997. It was a problem, but I adjusted well and functioned without much
of a problem. Then, in 2003 I became paralyzed from the neck down. Enough about that.
I love to eat. Given my set of circumstances, it's almost the only thing that I can do. I love going to
restaurants and eating great food. BUT, restaurant owners seem to not want me to spend my money at
their establishments. restaurants in my area
What do I mean by that?
The first goal for a restaurant is to make its patrons comfortable. Go to a restaurant and stare at the
tables and then think about what a wheelchair user has to go through. I have found that tables are either
terribly low to the ground or have legs that are either overly ornate with their wide sweeping twists and
curls or they are too close together. Some tables actually have their legs emanating from the center of
the table below the tabletop out towards each corner. Good grief.
Given all of that, I cannot get up to these tables for a comfortable dinner. So, I no longer visit most of
the restaurants in the New Haven area. Why should I spend my money when no proper
accommodations for handicapped people are made. I am definitely not militant about things.
How would I solve my dilemma?
To begin with, if I were a restaurant owner I would want everyone to spend their money with me so, I
would make some accommodations, but think like a handicapped person by making them. First, I
would use tables that are a little bit higher than that of others or have adjustable heights. I have been at
tables where you simply push on an arm to adjust the height. Second, I would use tables that have legs
at the four corners or a single stem with a flat base to make it easy to roll up to the table. See It's not
always the table top that is the issue. Sometimes it is the apron around the table top that makes the
effective height of the table seem much lower. restaurant reviews
I am not asking for restaurants to redesign themselves for me. Just have a table or two that work for me
or any other wheelchair user. My wheelchair in particular is similar to a Volkswagen. Big and kind of
clunky. Another problem that I have is with bars. Between the bar not extending out far enough and my
feet smashing into it or the foot rest of the bar extending out too far, I cannot sit at most bars with my
wheelchair. My chair does have adjustable vertical height so, that is not an issue I have with bars. I
would like to give kudos to the bar at the Summer Shack in the Mohegan Sun Casino. The corner
location of the bar is circular and is pretty high with no foot level encumbrance. The remainder of the
bar has the same problems that I have had at other bars, but I have been accommodated - probably
indirectly, but accommodated.
My Summer Shack example above is the reason why that is the only place I eat at while at Mohegan
Sun. We have tried to sit down for dinner at many of the restaurants there, but none come close.
Summer Shack is ther ONLY restaurant that I go to. Luckily, their food is unbelievable. We just sit at
the bar and have a great meal.
Times are tough for everyone, restaurants also. They should be doing everything to get business. Proper

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accommodations should be one of those things. local restaurants
You might be asking, how does a paralyzed person type?
I typed this entire message with my voice using the program Last month Dragon Naturally Speaking.
Google it and you will see.

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