The Rolling Gourmet News

Under the law, restaurants are only required to make "readily achievable"changes to improve their access, meaning they're not expected to go bankrupt installing elevators or rearranging their business, said Julia Freeman-Woolpert of the Disabilities Rights Center. But she said many don't realize that most adjustments are relatively inexpensive; purchasing a removable ramp, lowering mirrors in the bathrooms or properly painting handicapped parking spaces can cost only a few hundred dollars.

Yesterday, at an event to honor the Common Man restaurant in Concord for its accessibility, Kevin Hosier of Raymond said it's often fancier restaurants where maneuvering is a problem. Hosier, who is 38 and uses a wheelchair, said he's noticed a big difference between chain restaurants and small, historic-type eateries -"You know, the ones with the good food,"he said. While the staff usually tries to be helpful, the tables are too close together, he said, and sometimes he has to abandon his wheelchair at the narrow bathroom door and lean against the wall for support.

" You want to go to those places, but sometimes it's too much work," Hosier said.
For Khrista Matthews of Belmont, standing on her own, even for a minute, is not a possibility.

Matthews, 28, has been in a wheelchair for 14 years, and she said the most important thing is to be able to move around a restaurant without bumping into someone's chair or having to ask people to move.

" It's so much better when you can just roll in and roll out yourself," she said.

The forces behind the Rolling Gourmet hope their reviews will nudge restaurant owners toward making more accommodationsand congratulate those who do. The guide will also serve as a map of the best places to eat for people with mobility issues. Restaurants can be ranked online at the Disabilities Rights Center's Web site or people can ask the organization to mail them a paper report card. The results will be posted on the Internet at http://www.drcnh.org/restaurant.

(For more information, contact the Disabilities Rights Center at 228-0432 or the Spinal Cord Injury Association of New Hampshire at 479-0560.)

page last updated: 5/5/08



		DRCNH Home > News > 7-27-05 article Project to track eatery accessibility An online guide will provide rankings
		By MELANIE ASMAR Concord Monitor staff July 27. 2005 A restaurant might be a turkey (in other words, a thumbs-down) if there's a steep flight of stairs or skinny restroom stalls. On the flip side, eateries with ramps to their doors and plenty of space between tables are a definite thumbs-up, according to a fledgling project to rate the accessibility of area restaurants. This month marks 15 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed to ensure that people with disabilities receive equal treatment in the work force and have access to places such as grocery stores, hotels and public buses. Restaurants must comply, too, making changes they deem doable. But in some cases, that doesn't make a night out to eat any easier for people in wheelchairs, said Cheryl Killam of the Governor's Commission on Disability. " When I go to a restaurant, the first question I ask is 'Can I get in?'" she said. That question, and others, will hopefully be answered by the Rolling Gourmet, an online guide that seeks to rank restaurants' accessibility, roominess and overall friendliness. A joint project between the Disabilities Rights Center in Concord and the Spinal Cord Injury Association of New Hampshire in Londonderry, The Rolling Gourmet will ask people with mobility impairments to grade the restaurants they frequent - and those where they can't even reach the threshold. " I'm hoping to have this explode," said Lisa Thompson, who founded the Spinal Cord Injury Association of New Hampshire five years ago after suffering a severe back injury in a car accident. "Hopefully, restaurants will find out that they're a turkey and want to get off the list." Under the law, restaurants are only required to make "readily achievable"changes to improve their access, meaning they're not expected to go bankrupt installing elevators or rearranging their business, said Julia Freeman-Woolpert of the Disabilities Rights Center. But she said many don't realize that most adjustments are relatively inexpensive; purchasing a removable ramp, lowering mirrors in the bathrooms or properly painting handicapped parking spaces can cost only a few hundred dollars. Yesterday, at an event to honor the Common Man restaurant in Concord for its accessibility, Kevin Hosier of Raymond said it's often fancier restaurants where maneuvering is a problem. Hosier, who is 38 and uses a wheelchair, said he's noticed a big difference between chain restaurants and small, historic-type eateries -"You know, the ones with the good food,"he said. While the staff usually tries to be helpful, the tables are too close together, he said, and sometimes he has to abandon his wheelchair at the narrow bathroom door and lean against the wall for support. " You want to go to those places, but sometimes it's too much work," Hosier said. For Khrista Matthews of Belmont, standing on her own, even for a minute, is not a possibility. Matthews, 28, has been in a wheelchair for 14 years, and she said the most important thing is to be able to move around a restaurant without bumping into someone's chair or having to ask people to move. " It's so much better when you can just roll in and roll out yourself," she said. The forces behind the Rolling Gourmet hope their reviews will nudge restaurant owners toward making more accommodationsand congratulate those who do. The guide will also serve as a map of the best places to eat for people with mobility issues. Restaurants can be ranked online at the Disabilities Rights Center's Web site or people can ask the organization to mail them a paper report card. The results will be posted on the Internet at http://www.drcnh.org/restaurant. (For more information, contact the Disabilities Rights Center at 228-0432 or the Spinal Cord Injury Association of New Hampshire at 479-0560.) Home \| About the DRC \| Issue Areas \| If You Need Legal Assistance \| Information About Your Rights \| Legislative/Rulemaking Action Center \| Get Involved! \| News \| Donate to the DRC \| En Espanol \| Links \| Contact Web Administrator page last updated: 5/5/08

Project to track eatery accessibility An online guide will provide rankings

Project to track eatery accessibility
An online guide will provide rankings