Introduction
People with disabilities often face difficulties in everyday life due to the limited number of places equipped specially for them. These places include, first of all, shopping malls visiting which is necessary for a person irrespective of his/her physical health. People with disabilities also have to buy clothes, eat out, and socialize this is why equipping trade centers, shopping malls, and the like establishments for their needs is extremely important. Such establishments should adapt to the needs of handicapped people “in order to give them the possibility of spending their leisure time in conditions which are as normal as possible.” (Siekman, Soek, and ASSER International Sports Law Centre 31) There exist certain guidelines which should be followed when designing the places for public accommodation; incompliance of the public places’ technical characteristics with these guidelines is regarded as the violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and is fraught with serious legal consequences for the owners of such places. This paper presents an experience of a wheelchair-bound individual who visited a shopping mall and the conflicts this person (and thus all the wheelchair-bound individuals) may face in such places.
Summary of the Activity
The activity in general consisted in pretending to be a wheelchair-bound client who had to do some shopping in a department store and go through the activities which people usually undertake when visiting shopping malls (such as trying on clothes in a fitting room, having meals in a food court, visiting a restroom, etc). The experience on the whole turned out to be positive and Regency Square Mall in Jacksonville, Florida, which was chosen as a place for the research, turned out to be almost fully equipped for individuals with disabilities.
Firstly, the administration of the mall under consideration offers special services for wheelchair-bound people. This was my first surprise when I called to the mall to inquire about renting a wheelchair and found out that I would be met at the parking lot and provided with a free electric wheelchair. I was indeed met by the security and given a form which asked for my name and address. As I found out, Regency Square Mall had two wheelchair accessible entrances, which made it possible for me to enter the building without impeding other people or having to ask somebody to help me.
In addition, the design of the building as such is convenient for the wheelchair-bound people to use it. When I entered the mall, I understood that I would hardly have any problems with the stairs or escalators because the building was on- level; the exception was the food court which was one floor higher, but it was easily accessible by elevator. Perhaps, such a design was not intended to meet the needs of individuals who cannot walk, but it is without any doubt convenient for them, as well as for elderly people or for visitors with children.
Finally, the building can be considered as almost fully equipped for people with special needs. This surprised me and made me respect the administration of the mall. Thus, for instance, the tables in the food court were low enough to use them while remaining in the wheelchair. There were several drinking faucets which were easy to access from the height of the wheelchair. The bathrooms were close to the food court; moreover, there were special handle bars which helped to transfer to the commode and, at this, the height of the commode was almost the same as the height as the wheelchair.
However, I have faced several difficulties when buying clothes in the department store. The matter was that the main aisles were wide enough to maneuver them in the wheelchair, but there were smaller ones which made it difficult to make turns or even to move back without knocking the things over. The dressing rooms were rather small and I had problems with trying on the clothes that I chose; this disappointed me to some extent. Nevertheless, the service was great and the assistants were helpful, which means that the personnel are equally attentive to all the people.
Evaluation of the Activity
This activity gave me a perfect idea of what the life of a disabled person is like. Having a disability is always difficult, irrespective of its kind. On the other hand, everything depends on the person’s attitude towards life and his/her perception of the disability. Disabled individuals experience the same life limitations as a number of other people who have been discriminated throughout the history. There are several examples of people who have gone through limitations and discrimination, but still managed to become worthy. For example, Franklin Roosevelt had polio, which has always been an obstacle for his political career. People saw him as a cripple who was hardly able to succeed in life. (Winkler 39) Yet, not only did Roosevelt conquer his own disability but he also conquered the crippling despair that people felt during the Great Recession and led America even in the dark days of World War 2.
Stevie Wonder, Jose Feliciano, Ronnie Milsap, Andrea Bochelli, and a number of others are the world-famous singers, though they are blind. (Bugental 65) They can be regarded as handicapped but this fact did not influence their greatness in any way. Not so long ago race could be considered a disability as well. It is an unfortunate truth that, before being born, an African-American, a Latino, or an Asian was doomed to lead a life different from that which white people had. Today, however, all these minorities share the same rights and freedoms as whites and, though racial discrimination has not been completely eradicated from the society, its cases are only a few and the government never gives up the tries to fight with it. The greatest result of this fight was the election of Barack Obama as the president of the United States in 2008.
My experience with visiting the mall in the role of a wheelchair-bound person showed that treating disabled people in the modern society does not differ from the way ordinary people are treated. I am sure that Regency Square Mall is not the only place for public accommodation which is specially equipped for the disabled people. What I saw there was the desire to give equal service to ordinary and handicapped people with the latter having a possibility to freely move around the mall, have meals, buy the clothes they like, and do any other kind of activities. In fact, there is hardly anything that a person in a wheelchair can fail to do in the Regency Square Mall. This establishment has pleasantly surprised me for its personnel do everything possible to make the lives of disabled people easier. Thus, my visit to the Regency Square Mall has proved that with each day handicapped people acquire more and more independence. Their role in the society gradually increases and they start leading normal lives full of bright events and activities. Anywhere they go, they can find assistance of attentive and kind people eager to facilitate their lives and make them feel normal.
Recommendations for Change
Though Regency Square Mall was greatly equipped for people with disabilities (especially, with walking disability), some recommendations for improvement can still be given to it. It should be admitted that there exist several establishments which completely ignore the existing standards for designing the buildings this is why on their background Regency Square Mall seems to be almost a perfect place for the handicapped people. The administration of the mall can still introduce several changes which would greatly facilitate the lives of handicapped people and make them more independent.
One of such changes would be widening the aisles which are so hard to pass through for a person in a wheelchair. This was one of the main difficulties which I encountered when shopping at the mall. All the wheelchairs, even the modern ones, are quite big in width, which makes it difficult to pass through some of the doorways, let alone the aisles. Widening the aisles in smaller stores will make them more spacious and comfortable. According to ADA Standards for Accessible Design, “the minimum clear width for single wheelchair passage shall be 32 in (815 mm) at a point and 36 in (915 mm) continuously. (“ADA Standards for Accessible design” 505) Compliance with these standards will make shopping for people with disabilities much easier.
Another change will be adding more entrances designed for disabled people. Regency Square Mall has two entrances for people in wheelchairs but the mall is large and it takes time to get to a necessary entrance. I think that if there were at least three entrances, it would be easier for people in wheelchairs to get into the building. All the entrances should be accessible in any time and emergency exits designed for wheelchairs should also exist. This would make wheelchair-bound people feel safer in the walls of the building.
And lastly, the personnel should be trained to work with wheelchair-bound clients. These clients have special needs and sometimes even help with trying on clothes. Modern store personnel got used to people choosing and trying on the clothes themselves, unless they need assistance. Disabled people need assistance in any way this is why the personnel should be aware of their needs and should offer assistance in a way which would not insult or hurt them. People with disabilities are, as a rule, vulnerable (Braithwaite and Thompson 412) this is why psychological factor should be always taken into account by the assistants.
I think that if all these recommendations are followed, Regency Square Mall can become a perfectly equipped place for people with disabilities. This establishment is confidently developing into wheelchair accessible. If the changes mentioned above are taken into account by the organization’s management, Regency Square Mall will be able to increase handicapped people’s independence and make their lives fuller and brighter.
Works Cited
Braithwaite, Dawn O. and Thompson, T.L. Handbook of Communication and People with Disabilities: Research and Application. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000.
Bugental, Daphne B. Thriving in the Face of Childhood Adversity. London: Psychology Press, 2003.
Department of Justice. 1994. ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Web.
Siekman, Robert C.R., Soek, Janwillem, and ASSER International Sports Law Centre. The Council of Europe and Sport: Basic Documents. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Winkler, Allan M. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Making of Modern America. London: Pearson/Longman, 2005.