Lack of Accessibility for wheelchair users -- Lack of accessibility for wheelchair users

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Date Posted: 20:09:07 08/09/02 Fri
Author: Justin Linn
Subject: Lack of Accessibility for wheelchair users

Hello, my name is Justin Linn, I am 14 and a 9th grader at Northeast High School in Northeast Philadelphia, were I currently reside. I have Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which is a neurological diesease, that affect's the muscles in my body. The condition makes me wheelchair bound, which has no part of fun in it. A big problem for me is the lack of accessibility in Philadelphia and throughout the United States, this is the reason why I am writing you today, to see if I can get something done about this. This problem affects millions and millions of Americans. So I am going to share with you some of my experiences i have encountered throughout my life.

Education is the preparation and success to us kids future. So wouldn't you think that our government would care about us! Well apparently that isn't the case in my book.

First I want to start out talking about how the School District of Philadelphia, refused me to my education.

In the school year of 2000-2001 I transfered to the School District of Philadelphia from a District in South Jersey. So before I could go to school, I had to get registered, which was at Strawberry Mansion Middle/High School in North Philadelphia. So my mother went to go register me, and the school decided to set up a date for a meeting, so the school could get to know me better. So my mother went to the meeting, and the school came to the conclusion that their school, could no way fit my needs. So the school said they would find me a different school, that would better fit my needs. So after not recieving a call from the school, about the progress on finding a different school, we made a call about 2 weeks after the meeting, and the school explained that, they were still looking. So we made another call to the school about a month after the meeting, and so we went to the meeting, and they said the same thing they had to find another school, so then it was about 1 1/2 months after the original meeting, and there was still no progress. So we were seeking someone to call to get this all straigtened. So now it's about 1 3/4, and we contact a official at the cluster office, and they were very disappointed at Strawberry Mansion Middle/High School, because all my important education time was wasted, while I should of been in school, when I registered. So the official, arranged a meting with him, me, my mother, and the school. So when the official got in that meeting, everything was a different story, now all of a sudden, the doors are wide enough, there are bathrooms on the second floor, and Ect. So within a week there was a yellow bus in front of my door, picking me up. I couldn't believe how the school did that, that made no sence, and I was very sad, and alot of education was lost, after that 2 month waiting period.

This part does is very very rude, crule, and inconsiderate. The subject is about how both the School District of Philadelphia and a school district in South Jersey.

As you probally can remember, you having a school trip, and you are so anxious abot going. Well here in my case, it's the same thing, I was planning on going on a school trip with my class at Strawberry Mansion Middle/ High School. So we go down getting ready to board the bus, and my teacher says Let me go see if you can get on, so I waited fo her to return from seeing if I could go board the bus, and she says the bus does not have a lift, so did you know what that meant, I could not go! Just image that, no being able to go on a class trip just because your in a wheelchair, it's not right at all, and that isnt the only time it has happend, it happend several times, in South Jersey, were I couldnt go on a class trip because the school did not order a wheelchair accessible bus. These trips included Spelling B's, plays, nature walks, and State Capital in Trenton.

These problem, I shouldn't have to go through just because I am in a wheelchair. There has to be something done soon, or million's of live's are being hurt from this problem.

The next problem concerns Public Transportation. Someone in a wheelchair shouldn't have to wait for a bus to come with a lift that works, sure lifts break, but you shouldn't have to wait an hour for a bus to come with a lift that works. But this stuff happens to me and others in my situation, all the time, and it is time to end discrimination.

One day in the winter on a cold and breezy day, me, my mother, my sisters,and my moms friend, took a Septa bus to go shopping at the Franklin Mills Mall, which is located in Northeast Philadelphia. So we shopped, and when we were finished, we went to board a Septa Bus, and the lift would not work, so the driver of that bus told us there was a another bus coming, and for us to take that bus. So the bus pulled up, and the driver tried to operate the lift and the lift did not work, so the driver told us the same thing as the other driver did, theres another bus on it's way. So after waiting, the bus pulls up and the driver tried to operate the lift, and the lift did not work, I couldn't believe my eyes. So he told us the same story, theres a bus behind him, and there was, so that bus pulled up, and things were sucessful. But things werent so sucessful, when I went to get off the bus. The lift had broke, and I had to wait atleast an our, to get off of the bus, because we had to wait for a mechanic to come.

This problem has stranded me in a subway basement, because of elevators were out of order.

If you look at a Subway map of Septa and it has a wheelchair symbol I wouldn't go by it, even though I should be able to, but when I went by the symbol I saw that I could get off the Subway by elevator at the Cecil B. Moore subway stop. well I got there and I couldn't believe it when I saw a piece of paper on the elevator at it said "Out of Order", so my Step-Dad had to carry me up the stairs from the subway, while a helpful stranger caried my manual wheelchair up the steps, What a Experience! One day my family and wanted to get a train to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, so we called Septa to see what we had to do to get me there on a train to The Convention Center, and we spoke to a Septa Employee and they said, the closest Elevator to you is Margarett & Orthodox, and explained the elevator there was broke, so he said the nearest one that work's was Erie & Torresdale, and that was too far for me to go in my Wheelchair, so we decided not to go.

The next subject i am going to talk about, would not be a hard thing to fix. It would just talk a little bit of money. But even this subject hurts me, because I shouldn't be discriminated against, just because I am in a wheelchair.

This problem I am about to describe would not be hard to fix but it seems like the City of Philadelphia and half on the store doesn't really care about this problem. This problem is Accessiblity in stores and especially corner stores. When you See a store with steps you know what that means, it means that I or other people in wheelchairs cannot go into because of the steps. To tell you the truth it really wouldn't be hard to make a ramp on the stores so that a wheelchair could make it in the store. There is also another problem with stores their isle's are too small in width that a wheelchair could fit in the isle. All the stores have to do is move the shelfs a little bit so a wheelchair could fit. I wanted to get in a store, and there was a 2 part door, and one was locked, and without the other door open I could not enter because of the wheelchair. So I asked the owner kindly if he could open up the other part to the door and he said no. I got very angery and sad because of this, how hard could it have been to put a key in a hole. I want to get something done about this problem very quick because this has got many people very angery and when these incident's come up, it makes me and probally everyone else that goes through these problems, very mad, sad and left out.

So without further comments, I wish and prey, that one day, every person in a wheelchair, will live stress-free lives without having to worry about accessibility. God Bless You, and God Bless America.

Sincerely,
Justin Linn

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