Our Travel Log

Sydney & Karleigh, Date Planner Extraordinaires: Our Travel Log

We began our quest feeling the same way one normally feels before a first date: excited, optimistic, but also scared of what we could potentially encounter. As a city teeming with possibilities, Columbia seemed like a good place to have a relatively accessible date. With a tentative plan in place we set off. Our plan included dinner at The Wine Cellar and Bistro, followed by a movie at Ragtag, and closing with some alone time at Peace Park.

The route we chose to take for our date would begin at the Wine Cellar Bistro. After dinner we made our way down Cherry St., then took a left turn on Hitt St. to get to the Ragtag. After a movie at the Ragtag, we backtracked a little bit down Cherry St. to get to 9th St. After walking down 9th St. we turned right onto Elm St. We would continue on Elm until we reached our final destination of Peace Park. 

 

Our first stop, Wine Cellar and Bistro was located at 505 Cherry St., Columbia MO. The restaurant is close to Fedex and The Candy Factory.  We chose this restaurant because of it's romantic decor and its location between the MU campus and downtown.

As soon as we arrived at the restaurant we noticed a large curb cut right outside the front door. The curb cut would require our date to navigate the cobblestone road around it. The cobblestone road also presented a challenge as it would be extremely bumpy and hard for someone in a wheelchair or powerchair to navigate. The cobblestones were spaced quite far apart from each other which would make the terrain extra difficult for a wheelchair user. Furthermore, it would make for a very bumpy experience making it hard to have a conversation with your date as you would have to focus on the road. The cobblestone was probably one of the least accessible parts of the restaurant. Also outside the restaurant, there was a patio area for outdoor sitting. However, the patio was very narrow which would have made it impossible for someone in a power chair to move in the patio area. 

  

Right when we entered the restaurant we saw a wide ramp at a very slight incline and handrail leading to the restaurant. There were no stairs, just the ramp. The restaurant was extremely flat with an open floor plan that someone in a wheelchair or powerchair could easily get around in. However, the seats at the tables looked uncomfortable and offered little support when sitting. Also the lights in the restaurant were extremely dim which could make it difficult for someone with poor eyesight. The primary use of twinkle lights made the restaurant romantic, but not functional.The bathrooms were single, gendered, handicap accessible bathrooms located in the corner of the restaurant. The bathroom had low toilets, low sinks, and hand railings making it accessible. Someone in a wheelchair could also see themselves in the mirror as well, in case they wanted to freshen up before getting back to their date. Another aspect to consider regarding the Wine Cellar and Bistro was how expensive the menu was. The entrees ranged from $27 to $36 dollars with even the traditionally gratuitous bread costing money. The prices of the restaurant could potentially limit many potential customers from people who cannot afford it to people who are trying to save money. This is quite an expensive start to a date, as well as challenging to those who are visually impaired.

For the next part of the date, we brought our date to Ragtag Cinema for a movie. We took Cherry St. to Hitt St. to get to Ragtag, and we noticed that there were curb cuts at every intersection. However, the sidewalk was quite narrow, and some of the restaurants had their doors open. This would have made it nearly impossible for a wheelchair user to navigate the sidewalk. Also, there were many bumps and cracks along the sidewalk, which could have posed a threat to our date’s wheels. The bumps and cracks would cause the conversation to stall because the focus would have to be on safely getting to the next location.

When we were nearly to Ragtag, we found that there were curb cuts on Cherry St. leading to Hitt Street. These curb cuts had no crosswalk which could create a problem because the traffic on Hitt St. can get out of hand at certain times of day. Our date would have to rush across the street, which could result in them falling out of their wheelchair. The city of Columbia needs to address this problem, as it is a safety hazard regardless of ability.

When we made our way inside of Ragtag, we saw that there was a lot of open space inside. Also, the ticket counter was low enough to the ground that our date could purchase tickets without too much trouble. There was also a sign that said that there were hearing devices available for people who are hearing impaired. Another plus was that there was a handicap-accessible bathroom near the theatres, and that bathroom was gender neutral.

There were some downsides to going to Ragtag Cinema. Being able to drink during the film is a huge draw at Ragtag, but the bar is so high up that our date would most likely have trouble getting to it if there was a crowd. Another drawback was that the seating in the theatres was limited for wheelchair users. If your date was shy, they may be too uncomfortable to ask the staff at Ragtag to move chairs for them. It was also unfortunate that you would have to pay money to use the gender neutral restrooms, as they are located in the area after tickets are torn for the films.

For the last part of our date, we walked down 9th St. to Elm St. to get to Peace Park. We encountered the same problems on these streets as we did on previous streets: curb cuts, bumpy sidewalks and roads, and narrow sidewalks. It is a shame to see such a cute city with so much potential for accessibility not keep up with general maintenance.

At Peace Park, we rolled around and took in the many romantic spots in the park, from the bridge overlooking the creek to a bench overlooking the park. It is a very nice, quiet place to continue getting to know your date. One of the challenges would be making sure that your date could safely make their way onto one of the benches, as the concrete slabs underneath them do not extend to the sidewalk. In addition, there was a drop off between the nicely paved sidewalk and the ill maintained grass. The grass was also on a slope toward a pond which could spell trouble if the wheelchair gains enough momentum.The sidewalk was relatively wide and well kept, making it an easy place for a wheelchair user to maneuver. There was a slight incline throughout parts of the park but nothing too extreme. Most of the benches were accessible to wheelchair users, but some of them were far from the sidewalk.

Overall, the date was a success, but it was not without some road blocks. These included a lack of ramps, gender-neutral bathrooms, well-lit spaces, and properly maintained sidewalks. These issues can be taken outside of downtown, and applied to campus and throughout the state of Missouri. We both would urge citizens of Columbia to reach out to the government, or protest the current state of the streets of Columbia as they are not accessible.