The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
I live in Tempe, AZ. The East Valley, as it is called. East of Phoenix that is.It is one of the relatively newer parts of town so you would think that accessibility would not be an issue. The ADA laws etc. You’d be wrong. While muchof the area is accessible do not take this for granted.
The Good:
Tempe is a very user friendly town for a person in a wheelchair. I was surprised to learn that with my handicap auto plates (or a placard) you can park for FREE at any garage in Tempe or at any sidewalk parking, even if it has a meter! They do not seem to spread this news around, but I was given this information by a parking attendant, and over the years have found it to be true. So go to Tempe, park anywhere and enjoy yourself.
The Bad:
Although I live in Tempe the closest major Shopping Mall is in Chandler, about5 miles from my home, at Chandler Blvd and the 101 Freeway. Of course, they have handicap parking, and a cut out ramp to get up to the sidewalk. Getting INTO the stores is a different story.
I usually park near Macy’s since that is my favorite store and there are any H/C parking places. For years, I was amazed to find that I could get up to the doors that led into the store only to find that there was no automatic door opener. I would have to sit and wait for some good Samaritan to come by and open the door.. doors (there is a set of double doors to enter) for me. Some people are very nice and when they see me, open the doors and allow me to enter. Others rush up to the door, enter themselves and almost slam the door in my face. Hey! Am I invisible..? What don’t they understand?
The funny part here is that on the OUTSIDE of the door there is wheelchair symbol you know the one, blue caricature of a wheelchair on a square box. Next to it there is a sign that says (I’m not kidding here)... " We are wheelchair friendly, if you need any assistance please ask a salesperson for help. Hello? I am on the OUTSIDE of the store, HOW and WHO am I going to ask for help?
I brought this information to several sales people’s attention, to the store manager and to the Corporate office, more than once I should say. I was told they understood, were sorry for the inconvenience and would look into it.
This went on for several years.
I finally found that if I park in front of Nordstrom, on the other side of the mall, a store I cannot afford to shop at, I can get into the store via an automatic button...one set of doors, large foyer area. Elevators are large with room enough to turn my wheelchair around and not have to back in and out. Sales people come running from each end of the store to see if I need anything. Large, clean accessible restrooms.
One nice salesperson set me up in a wheelchair accessible dressing room, asked me what I was looking for, size and color, and brought me several items to try on, then came back again and again to see how I was doing and bring me more items. I love Nordstrom, too bad I can’t afford to shop there.
Oh, by the way, Macy’s finally did put door openers on there entrances.
The Ugly:
Schnepf’s Farm Peach Festival, Queen Creek, AZ
It was a lovely cooler than normal day in May and so we decided to get out of the house and attend the annual Peach Festival held at Schnepfs farm in Queen Creek, AZ about 45 minutes from our home. Their website said the grounds and facility were wheelchair accessible. Don’t you believe it!
We got there and attempted to park my van. All the parking was in a dirt lot. We were surprised to see an area supposedly portioned off for handicap parking. However, when we tried to find a spot to park we found that there were no real ‘parking spaces,’ people were parked any which way, front end in, double parked, parallel parked etc. Once in the handicap parking area it was almost impossible to turn the van around to get out and look elsewhere for parking. There was no attendant or anyone to help or give guidance. We finally parked under a tree in what I doubt was a designated ‘spot’, near the entrance.
Lucky for me, my wheelchair lift comes out the back, not the side of the van or there would have been no way to get my chair out of the van. There was no room for my husband to bring the chair to the passenger side door for me, so he had to help me ‘walk’ over uneven rocky dirt ground to get to my chair.
Once in the Festival area it was more dirt trails. I wanted the much advertised Peach Pie which I was told was being sold in the store. The store was small and crowded and very difficult to maneuver my chair. I really wanted that pie, so I managed to get in and to the back of the store only to find they were out of pie and would not have any more that day.
Next I tried for the Peach Ice Cream which I was told was being sold at the opposite end of the grounds. I bumped along the dirt and grass but there was no ice cream to be found. I finally found someone wearing an official tee shirt and asked where the ice cream was. I was told the machine was broken but if I waited ½ hour they were bringing some out in a cooler. I waited, in the sun, but no ice cream ever arrived.
By this time I had to use the bathroom. Yes they had a so called handicap toilet stall. But it was narrow and could barely fit my chair. I certainly could not turn around in it. If I had been in a scooter instead of my power chair I could not have used it.
When I mentioned all of this to one of the owners, her reply was "the festival is free, we are doing the best we can", then she walked away.
My advice is skip the Peach Festival and go to The Tempe Arts Festival held twice a year in down town Tempe... April and December. Accessible free parking, lots of fun, music and food. It too is Free.
Love the frozen chocolate covered bananas.!
