ADA Access Blog

Barriers common for people in wheelchairs

BY MEGHANA KESHAVAN • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER • August 12, 2008

There was plenty of room for Erica Nader's wheelchair at the Woodward Avenue Salon in Ferndale: The doorways met regulation and were 32 inches wide, and there were support rails in the spacious bathroom.

But with a 6-inch step at the entrance, she couldn't get in.

Eighteen years after the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, barriers still exist in making businesses accessible to people with disabilities. The 1990 civil rights legislation prohibits discrimination in employment practices and public services.

"There are still plenty of problems out there," said William Milzarski, a rights representative for the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns. "Whenever I come across a business that has a step or two to get in, the owner usually says, 'No one in a wheelchair ever shops here.'

"I think it's pretty obvious why they don't."

Nader, who was paralyzed in a 2001 car accident, led Ferndale Mayor Craig Covey on a wheelchair tour of the city last week in commemoration of the ADA's 18th anniversary. Assisted by caregivers, the two visited a number of small businesses on Woodward Avenue to assess how easily accessible they were.

Covey and Nader noted that while some businesses had gone above and beyond to accommodate people with disabilities, other places were almost completely unreachable for a person in a wheelchair.

"We can certainly use our zoning and city ordinances to help improve access, but many things need to be done voluntarily," Covey said. "What we're mainly doing here is raising the issue, and increasing visibility."

The Internal Revenue Service gives tax breaks to help small businesses comply with the ADA, offsetting about 50% of any renovation costs that will make places more accessible. Expanding doors, for instance, or providing signs in Braille, will allow up to $5,000 in credit toward tax returns.

Kim Urbanczyk, owner of the Woodward Avenue Salon, was receptive to the suggestion to upgrade her shop.

"Last week I had a lady come in riding a scooter, and I thought, it might be helpful to get a portable ramp," she said.

Nader runs a spinal cord injury rehabilitation center in Ferndale called Walk the Line to SCI Recovery, and is a member of the city's Disability Advisory Committee. Similar groups work with other Michigan cities, such as Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.

The members of the Ferndale Disability Advisory Committee plan to distribute pamphlets to local businesses about the benefits of making their bars, restaurants and stores more accessible.

"The face of disability has changed a lot," Nader said. "Before, people would stay at home, out of sight. But now, we go to bars, get sushi with friends -- so we really want to increase awareness, in business owners specifically, about improving access for their customers with disabilities."

Contact MEGHANA KESHAVAN at mkeshavan@freepress.com.

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