Dating Accessibly in the District - Columbia, MO

  Dating Accessibly in Downtown Columbia, MO

For our date, we started out at Raine’s apartment which is off of College Avenue. Our destinations after that included dinner at Ingredient, strolling on the Rain Garden Trail and then catching a movie at RagTag Cinema. Raine was also able to get some chocolate from work as a gift to make a good first impression.

            

Part One: Departure

Originally, we intended to start our journey from Emily's apartment, as it was closer to downtown Columbia. However, we realized that Emily's apartment was not accessible on many different levels. The front door to Emily's apartment is only accessible by stairs. Additionally, an individual would have to travel on a cobblestone path before they could reach the stairs. After realizing that Emily's apartment was not an option for our date, we went to Raine's apartment. 

Raine's apartment complex, which was located on the east part of the University of Missouri campus, has 3 wheelchair accessible ramps and a number of accessible apartments on the ground level. However, that left just a few apartments with wheel chair access. Most apartments in the complex have stairs to get to the upper floors or there are a few steps that one needs to climb before even getting to the first floor apartments. Fortunately, Raine's was an apartment on the ground level that didn’t have steps. 

Part Two: Dinner

Our next destination was getting a casual dinner at Ingredient downtown. The distance from Raine's apartment to our next destination, which was in the heart of downtown, was 1.3 miles. However, the journey took us down College Avenue and through campus, so the sidewalks were well maintained and easy to navigate. Though it is quite a long distance from the apartment complex, it turned out to be a nice day and we didn’t mind the exercise. On the journey over we were able to talk and get to know each other a little better.

Once we arrived to Ingredient, we noticed that ordering at the registers was difficult because the tables were higher than chair level. Further, the way that the sign and registers were positioned would make it difficult for a person at chair level to have a conversation with the host or hostess. Luckily, Ingredient has menus posted on their front door as well as paper menus on a table as we walk in. This made it a little easier to order. 

      

Further, we noticed that getting drinks would also be difficult. The soda fountains there were too high for our companion to fill his or her cup, but, we were glad to help them out. Finally, finding a seat was easy. Ingredient has wheelchair accessible tables that we were able to sit at. But, if there happened to be none available, it would have been more difficult to navigate.

                  

Part Three: Alone Time at the Rain Garden

 

After dinner, we decided that it was a good idea to spend some time together outdoors and talk before it got too dark outside. We decided to go to the Rain Garden Trail by Flat Branch. We decided to stroll around the trail and spend some time getting to know each other more.  It was very peaceful and scenic outside. On the way back towards downtown we decided to sit in the gazebo before going to RagTag to see a movie.

Part Four: RagTag Cinema 

               

The end of our night concluded seeing a movie at RagTag. When we first walked into RagTag, we noticed that the tables were pretty close together, which made it difficult to pass through.   However, things got better as we started to get to the ticket booth. The ticket booth was at chair height, so our companion could easily purchase his or her ticket.

The restrooms in RagTag cinema were a mixed bag. Though there is a separate, accessible restroom in RagTag Cinema, the main women's restroom proved to be incredibly unaccessible. Neither of the two stalls were large enough to be accessible nor was either marked as accessible. The men's restroom was a single restroom with railing. Thus, it was accessible. All restrooms had accessible door handles. 

The way the theaters in RagTag are set up is relatively wheel chair accessible. The theaters are stocked with couches and individuals chairs. Our companion would have plenty of room sitting next us or it would just as easy to move a chair if they wanted to sit closer to the middle. We decided to sit in the middle aisle and move a chair for our companion.

                       

After seeing a movie, our date was concluded. We all had a great time even though we ran into some obstacles during dinner that made it difficult for our companion but, we were able to manage or help them out.  Other than that, our date was very successful and we look forward to our second date.