It Should Not be so Hard

Since I have a new camera I felt it expedient that I go take some images and what better then to document some of the restaurants I have been raging against these past couple of days. I was taken aback last week after making a couple of these remarks and my office support person, Bonnie, called the place and the restaurant in question said, that in fact they did have access at least they said hey have access.

So that is what I did at lunch—I made the rounds at lunch looked close at what kind of access Barbacoa has and sure enough they do have back door which basically opens up to their patio which is ground level. I took some images and entered the door way but in order to do so I had to move seated people out of the way—then even after I got in to the restaurant I could not get to the front of the restaurant to order because I was blocked by a major step. The bathroom is down stairs—at least what I could tell—Bonnie was informed there was an accessible restroom—I just could not see in on my attempted roll-thru.

The other place I had real contention with is a brand new place called the Beerhive, Pub cute name and cute place. On first approach I thought the place was really not accessible. I could not believe it—brand new brick and mortar not accessible! So today with camera in hand I went back and looked closer.
The front door, on Main street has a major step there is a side entrance which is access by going through an enclosed ally or walkway between buildings and it has a couple of steps; it was only after I decided to go all the way round the building did I find a back door—which kind of looks like a service entrance but that door entry is flat and is accessible but I really had to go out of my way to find it.

I have also included a couple of images of other public restaurants with no access. True some of these restaurants have other sites scattered Salt Lake county and the State which are accessible and could possibly slide a way from the spirit of the law to conform to the letter of the law. But I work down town, I love down town and I like to eat down town especially over lunch. There is one food court which is accessible on h west side of down town—true it looks like the ZCMI food court is trying to resurrect itself but at this point is just a “lite” version of itself with no Long John Silvers. People n wheelchairs, dining by themselves, need options like everyone else. Maybe these options will be there when the “new” downtown is finished but how many years away is that? There are no “Access Cops” down town. It seems people with disabilities are having to “police” their access and even then it seems questionable whether true access will be achieved the first time round. It just should not b so hard to get some lunch!