Accessible Date
Kelsey Meyerkord, Yanran Huang, Khadija Williams

For our accessible date, we chose to begin the night at Ingredient True Eatery on 9th Street.  The entrance has a flat surface, which is accessible for a wheelchair-user to enter; however, there are no automatic doors.  The area where we ordered our food had a big enough opening for a wheelchair to fit through, which was good.


Since we went after dinner time, the restaurant was pretty quiet.  For that reason, the aisles were easy to navigate because many of the tables were empty.  If Ingredient had been more populated, then a wheelchair user may have had a harder time navigating the restaurant.  We sat at a booth where, since the restaurant was empty, a wheelchair-using-person would be able to sit comfortably at the end of the table.

During our date, one of us excused ourselves to go to the bathroom.  The bathroom had a low sink and a lot of space for mobility. The only challenge was that the tables could be difficult to maneuver around to reach the restroom.  Overall, we decided that the restaurant earns about 5/10 for accessibility.

For the entertainment portion of our date, we ventured to the Missouri Theatre.  Lucky for us, Google Maps said the theater was only a two minute walk from Ingredient.  However, when using the maps we noticed that while it gave an estimated time for how long it took to walk from Point A to Point B, it did not give an estimated time for how long it would take a wheelchair user.  Prior to this date, we hadn’t considered how the Google Maps app we use so frequently isn't inclusive because it assumes all people walk.

Upon arriving at the Missouri Theater, the first thing we saw was an automatic door that would make it easier for a wheelchair-user to enter without having to asking for assistance.

Prior to the date, we researched how accessible the Missouri Theater is in order to decide whether this location would be date-worthy or not.  Fortunately, they had information online that says the theater follows ADA accessibility. There is an elevator that may take a wheelchair user from the Grand Foyer to the balcony and patio.  Additionally, there is handicap seating at the front and back of the theater and on the balcony. Meanwhile, the theater is also accessible for wheelchair using actors - there are accessible doors that lead backstage as well as an accessible, secure bathroom in the dressing room.

However, even though the theater is “ADA Accessible”, some of the accommodations could have been better.  For example, while the main staircase is one of the first things you see, the accessible elevator is slightly hard to find.  Also, as you can see in the picture of the theater below, the aisles would be hard to navigate when the theater was crowded. True accessibility would mean clear, efficient elevators and easy to navigate aisles.

Lastly, we went to the dorm for privacy; it took about twenty minutes to walk from the Missouri Theater.  We noticed a few things on our walk. Firstly, the sidewalks downtown were a danger - they were uneven and cracked.  On top of that, the snow and ice was poorly removed from the sidewalks, which would have made wheeling dangerous and slippery.  In regard to crossing the street, we were all careful to cross at the intersections because the curb-cuts are designed to be accessible for our wheelchair using date!  At this point, some of us realized that the shortcuts we usually take while walking are not realistic for a wheelchair user.

When we arrived at the dorm, there was a ramp available for a wheelchair user to get inside.  There was also an automatic door to access to the building! Then, inside there were two elevators for students to use to get to their rooms.  The hallways were large enough for a wheelchair to navigate as well. Overall, this Mizzou dorm allowed for some accessible, comfortable private time.