Today I took dad to the new out-patient laboratory for Good Samaritan Hospital. It is located several blocks from the hospital in a brand new building. The grand opening is tomorrow. The building is located on a narrow street filled with construction vehicles due to the hospital expansion going on in the area. Parking is plentiful, there is a parking garage under the building. Please keep in mind that this 3 story building is full of doctor's offices in addition to the lab. The door to the main entrance does not have the automated features for those with handicaps. It is very heavy and not particularly wide. I had dad and his walker to manuever through it. I am now dreading taking Nathan and the wheelchair next week. The elevator seemed crowded, not very deep, another challenge when I bring Nathan. To get to the lab there is a very heavy door to go through, again no automated features, followed by a hard right and another heavy door into the lab waiting room. There is also another heavy door to be navigated into the drawing area. Why so many doors and why so heavy and where are the automated door openers? This is a new medical building, shouldn't there be some consideration given for those with walkers and wheelchairs, not to mention young mothers with little children in strollers and in tow?
Why are medical facilities designed to be unfriendly to those with disabilities? I think it should be a requirement that the designers of these facilities visit them in a walker and a wheelchair and try to get around before the building is signed off by the building inspectors.
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1 comment:
What a pain in the neck!
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