Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Dateability

We started our little outing at Trey Bistro located in the District at 9th and Walnut. Once we arrived at the restaurant, we found that it was accessible for those who might utilize a mobility device. When planning this date, we decided to attempt to patronize those places on 9th so that traveling between venue’s would be minimal. Trey Bistro had tables, both inside and outside, that were of appropriate height for a wheelchair. Any chair could be moved in order to provide a comfortable dining experience. Though the furniture and restrooms were both accessible, there was little room to navigate the building. In order to reach the restrooms, one had to move down a narrow path between the bar area and seating. We determined that space was wide enough for one wheelchair, or other mobility assistance device including a walker or cane.


We wanted to make traveling to the separate venues of the evening as easy as possible. Due to that fact, our options for entertainment were kept within a couple blocks — thankfully Missouri Theatre has some phenomenal shows. The trek from Trey Bistro was uneventful save for Broadway being extremely congested with traffic. We found the sidewalks to be in disrepair and too narrow to accompany two people in either wheelchairs or other mobility assistance devices. We understand the city has only a certain amount of space with which to work as many of the buildings are historical and there must be space for cars to park downtown, we just wish they were in better condition.
Outside of the narrowness, half of the sidewalks were slanted in order to allow accessibility into the shops, however well-intentioned it still would interfere if two people in wheelchairs wanted to move next to one another.  
Once we flitted down to our entertainment venue of the night, the Missouri Theatre, we found the call window to be a bit high. Someone in a wheelchair could not have comfortably reached up and spoke with the attendant, nor did the Theatre have an accessible option inside. On the left hand side of the foyer there is a window to the ticket-booth that is at the same level, if not higher, than the one located outside. Accessible bathrooms can be found on the ground floor, located on the left side of the foyer when entering from 9th street. The route to the floor was a bit cantankerous, but not impossible. The venue has spacious rooms and plenty of room to navigate, save the aisles in the theatre itself.  
After leaving the Missouri Theatre we traveled the two blocks back north to Top 10 Wines. The sidewalks were similarly in disrepair, narrow, and at odd angles. There were no lips or curbs that would make traveling in a wheelchair impossible.


Top 10 Wines is unaccessible for any individual in a wheelchair or mobility assistance device. The tables were spaced too close be maneuvered around, and there were cases of wine everywhere. It might be possible to remove the chairs at the table to allow for wheelchair space, but again, the tables were much too close together for anyone to feel or sit comfortably if the bar was at full capacity  The bar was placed much too high for anyone in a wheelchair to reach as well. The bathrooms were accessible, with a bar in them, but it would be incredibly difficult for anyone with limited mobility to get all the way to the back of the restaurant to use them.
We encountered the same troubles with the sidewalks on our trip to find some alone time. The apartment was accessible from the sidewalk, as it was located on the first floor, down in an alley located near Broadway and 9th across from Alley A.


The apartment we chose to end our evening at was located just off 9th street. It was a first floor apartment. The door was not automatic, but included mechanisms to make it extremely light when opening and closing. There was plenty of privacy and space for a couple to get to know each other on a deeper level. The biggest issue we encountered was there were no windows in this particular space, so if a fire occurred it would be very difficult to escape to safety, which we might add should probably told to city officials.

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