Limelight Mall

A couple weeks ago I found myself with my boys at the Limelight Mall.  I'm sure they would prefer not to be called a mall, but that's what it is.  For anyone who wasn't going out in New York 25 years ago, the Limelight was a church converted to a club, that we danced in as kids.  It is a beautiful landmark structure that was adapted for re-use as a club and now has been adapted for re-use for shopping.

So how did they get away with completely renovating it and not put in an elevator?   As a preservation engineer, I found a few locations where an elevator could have been sensitively installed.  I asked and one of sales people said that they wanted an elevator and were trying to get one installed but it took a long time.  They said it something to do with being a landmark. I would hate to think that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission would deny access to mid-level shopping to people in wheelchairs.

On the plus side, we found some great  hats and gelato on the first floor and they had an accessible bathroom.

Rubin Museum of Art

Last Saturday we went to the Rubin Museum of Art.  They have the art of the Himalayas.  I'd always wanted to go and since we were so close having just made a first trip to the Andrew Heiskel Library, we figured it was easier to walk four blocks than drive uptown to the Met.

The Rubin is relatively new, so it is a completely accessible design.  The main floor is not at the street level, but they built a lobby that is elevated for everyone to walk right in.  There is a small - one wheelchair and one person - lift that takes you from the lobby to the main floor and it is all elevators from there.  We found plenty of accessible bathrooms with no wait.

I think my favorite part was the exhibits were easily viewable from my son's wheelchair.  The art work cases that held scrolls were just the right height to see without getting up.  I often have to lift him so he can see this sort of exhibit, but not here.  The staff were really welcoming and offered to help regularly.  But the museum was so well designed, we didn't need it. 

As for the art - the museum focuses on the art from Buddhist and Hindu cultures.  The 2nd floor exihibit is an introduction for those of us who are not too familiar with it.  They touched on geography of the region, the imagery and deities, as well as the materials used for making art.  It gave us a vocabulary to approach the rest of the museum with.  The other floors had interesting exhibits and activities for my typical kid. 

There is a really great gift shop and a lovely cafe.  I would definitely go back.

 http://www.rmanyc.org/

Museum of the Moving Image

Summer is birthday season around our house. Our guy in a wheelchair goes to school with lots of kids in wheelchairs.  Our house has a step to get in, no problem for a manual wheelchair, not viable for a power chair, so we went looking for a truly accessible venue.

The Museum of the Moving Image recently re-opened having been completely renovated.  Completely renovation translates to real accessibility - wide doorways, big elevator, movable seats in the theater, tables that fit a wheelchair underneath and a staff that made all of the kids feel at home.  We had a great time.  The kids did animations, sound dubbing, virtual costuming and watched Wallace and Gromit.

Highly recommended.

Museum of the Moving Image
http://www.movingimage.us/

The School Carnival

Today was the school carnival.  I know that kids like them, but they are not my thing.  Still, I bought 4 bracelets to support the school (later found out that grownups don't pay) and went over with my guy in a wheelchair and his little brother.

The entrance was accessible.  The bathroom was up a few steps.  There was nothing for my child in a wheelchair to do.   There were several air inflated bouncy rooms and slides.  There was face painting and he hates people touching his face, especially strangers.  It was too hot for him, since he doesn't sweat properly, so I kept wetting him down with the water bottles we never leave home without in the summer.  There was food he couldn't eat. and games he couldn't play.  There was a DJ - he could have gotten up and tried dancing.  There were lots of kids who stared at him.  This was the hardest part.  People who meet our family quickly discover that despite his disability, he is smart and funny like most other kids.  But it was loud and he had no way to communicate and so they just stared.

We stayed for hours, because the is little one loved it.  He went on all the slides and bounced in the rooms.  He ate the crunchy and chewy junk food, played the games and won little prizes and ran around with his school friends. My middle son got up from his chair and walked with assistance to find friends he knew and (silently) greet them.  I held his hand as we sat in the shade and I chatted with the other parents.  He laughed at inside jokes when I complained about one thing or another.

I reminded my son in the wheelchair that we went to plenty of fundraisers for him.  That his brother had helped at the book fair and sat through the wheelchair basketball tournament and bid at the silent auction.  I didn't need to remind him, I needed to remind myself.

The Parking Pass

One of my favorite things New York City does for our family is the parking pass.  It is much better than the tags that let you park in a better space in a lot.  The pass is issued by the New York City Department of Transportation.  It allows us to park in No Parking zones, No Standing Except Trucks Loading and Unloading, and No Standing Except Authorized Vehicles.  We don't pay for meters or move for street cleaning.  The pass is issued to our son, for his use.  He gets it because he is not ambulatory.

We use it to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MOMA, Lincoln Center - all places where there is rarely, if ever, street parking, and the lots are very expensive.  In a big city, where the subway is not accessible, the buses are slow and most taxis don't take wheelchairs, the pass makes the difference between going places and staying home.

Here is the link:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/permits/nyc-pppd.shtml

 A recent change in the rules allows non-residents of New York City to get one.  It used to be that you had to prove that you worked or went to school here, but not anymore.

I need to thank Julie for this.  She is another parent, with a child in a wheelchair, who told me about the pass 5 years ago.  She also told us how to get a Medicaid Waiver for our son, but that is a post for another day.

Luna Park, Coney Island

We had a great time today at Luna Park.  We've been to Coney Island many times, mostly paired with the Aquarium, but this time, we rode the rides.  Our friend was having a birthday party there, so despite being one mom with two kids under 48" tall, we had no shortage of adults.

First off, for someone with a NYC Parking Pass, there is plenty of "No Parking" in Coney Island.  That's our spot.  I usually park right next to Nathan's.  I have the irrational hope that at the time we come back to the car, the line won't be so long.  Ha ha ha.

The are a few different amusement parks, but our party was at Luna Park.  http://www.lunaparknyc.com/  There are no steps to get in the park.  There is an accessible bathroom, but we didn't use it, so I can't vouch for it.  There are no accessible rides where a person in a wheelchair can stay in their chair.  There are steps up to get on many rides and the ones without steps are difficult, if not impossible, to transfer.  Since my son is light, 43 pounds, I carried him onto to rides or he walked with assistance.  We had a friend who held the bags for the group and stayed with the wheelchair, bringing it around to the exit. 

The staff at the park were very nice to us.  They made of point of offering to help.  There were very few lines, but they told us that our entire party (15 of us) could come in the exit without the wait, since he was in a wheelchair.  I wasn't charged to ride, since I was "riding with".

We look for rides with a bit of a pommel and shoulder restraint, or those with a lap belt, if there isn't much up and down movement.  I sit next to him for extra support. 

Here is our review-

Tickler - the roller coaster threw us around a little, but we loved it. My little guy rode with his friend and said it was a little scary and they kept "knocking heads."

Beach Shack - went around and up and down, but the kids said it was babyish.  I thought is was fun and my middle guys smiled and laughed the whole time.

Speed Boat - very hard for me to get into next to him and kind of lame, but after the Coney Island Sound, we needed it.

Big Top Express, Mermaid Parade - looked boring.

Tea Party - the tea cups always make me nauseous.

Coney Island Sound - looked great in terms of pommel and restraint, but much rougher than we expected.  It threw him around a lot.  It goes up and down very quickly so the seat drops out beneath you.  I spent most of the ride trying to give him head support, which he doesn't ordinarily need.  Some of our typical friends had the good sense not to ride it.

Circus Coaster - this was great.  The perfect combination of dips and turns, and you go around twice!

Coney Island Hang Glider - you lie on your belly and there is pommel between your legs to keep you from sliding and a restraint on top.  It was hard to get him in initially, but the ride was really fun. You feel a little like Superman.

Lynn's Trapeze - not enough support, didn't ride.  It's too bad, because he loves to swing.  My little guy rode it and loved it.  It reminded me of a ride at Tibidado in Barcelona, where my daughter, then 12, rode a similar ride over and over, saying it was like flying.

Surf's Up - standing up, didn't ride.

Balloon Expedition - hard to get into, but a great view and not wild.  I loved this one because you can see the ocean and smell it.

Wild River - look good until we got close to the car and realized there were no straps.  So we skipped it.  All the other "High Thrill" rides were too much to the little kids (ages 5 to 7).

I left and called their dad and sister to say we should all return as a family.  I'm thankful our guy is still light enough to carry and strong enough to walk with help.  Otherwise it would have been a bust for him.

The Guggenheim Museum

You would think that a building famous for ramps would be great for a person in a wheelchair.  The problem is, so much is ramped, you feel like you can never let go of the chair.  I kept imagining how hard it would be for a person who self-propelled to never let go of their wheels.

We entered on Fifth Avenue.  We have a Cool Culture pass, so we went to the member desk, bypassing the long line for tickets.  We took the very steep ramp to the second floor.  It was tough to push up, but we made it.  Most of the second floor is fairly flat, but there is gallery space up a few steps, with no ramp.  We parked the wheelchair and I helped our middle guy to walk up the steps and around the gallery.  He walks with assistance, so this is often our method for getting around museums, even when there are no steps.  This way he can direct what he wants to look at and for how long.

After that first ramp up, we took the elevator to the top and decided to make our way down the ramps instead.  The wait was long and we didn't fit on the first try, but we got there.  We later discovered another elevator bank in the extension building, but it was not operating when we were there.

As soon as we got up to the 6th floor, we needed the bathroom.  I then discovered that the only accessible bathrooms were on the 7th floor and in the basement.  Up another ramp and a long wait, for a single toilet.  In the Guggenheim's defense, every floor has one tiny unisex toilet with a long line.  They aren't discriminating, everyone has to wait.  Still the idea that the elevator didn't get our wheelchair to the floor with the accessible bathroom - not really ok.

Finally we were ready to see the art.  We walked down the big ramps and entered individual flat galleries around the edge.  When it was time to get a snack we headed to the cafe on 3 in the extension.  The counter height wasn't compliant and we found nowhere to sit once we bought our food.  No problem - we are good floor picnickers. 

Soon after we needed another bathroom break.  As the mom with a kid in a chair on the outside and a young kid on the inside, I ended up holding the bathroom door partially open while he went.  Luckily he isn't worried about privacy.

In summary - we would go back, preferably with another adult/parent, but we would not invite our other friends with wheelchairs who push themselves. 

Paris

But first a detour...
Three weeks ago we went to Paris, our first trip to Europe as a family.  Paris is really old, so I was ready to accept that not everything was accessible.  We found a city that really tried and often succeeded in making our family with a wheelchair feel welcome.

We began at JFK, where Air France brought us to the front of every line.  Our extra bag was not charged, since it contained the bed rails we would need for the hotel.  We found an over sized (for an airplane) bathroom on the plane that we plenty big for a mom and her son who can bear weight, but not stand alone.

Our hotel, the Hotel Left Bank - Best Western, had a room for us on the ground floor.  We had one small step to enter the lobby and everything else was accessible.  The bathroom was huge.  The bed for our son with the wheelchair had three sides, so we only needed one set of rails. (we brought two).  

The sidewalks can be very narrow in some spots.  There are posts along the curb for safety, but they sometimes narrow the sidewalk to the point where our wheelchair had to go in the street. The streets are bumpy, since they are often paved with individual stones, but every corner has a dropped curb, with a textured ramp.  The traffic lights have a button to press so that someone who is blind can listen for the light change.  There are some taxis that accommodate wheelchairs, but we didn't use them.  There is supposed to be one Metro line that is accessible.  It wasn't near our hotel or destinations. We walked everywhere, except for taking the bus home from the Eiffel Tower.  The bus had a ramp that dropped to give us a smooth transition to the sidewalk.

When we approached the Musee D'Orsay, we were approached by someone who immediately took us to the front of the line, because one of our party had a disability.  We saw a family with a child with Down's Syndrome standing with us at the front of the very long line.  We got this treament at every museum we went to.

Musee D'Orsay is supposed to be fully accessible.  It was mostly accessible.  They had closed off an area for construction, but they did not leave an access path, so half the 2nd floor was not available to our family.  It was clear that they could have left a path, since we could see that the area actually under construction was tented and the potential path wasn't. 

We went to see the Eiffel Tower, but didn't try to go in.  The park beneath it was all we needed.

We went to the Louvre twice.  The first visit we had trouble navigating with the elevators.  We would get almost to where we wanted to be and find just a few steps away was the exhibit.  So it's accessible, but you have to read the map very, very carefully and take detours.  I loved that the small lifts didn't require that we find a guard to unlock them, like they do here in New York.  I suspect that the elevator codes in Paris are more lenient than in New York, since elevators everywhere we went closed on us with apparently no safety stop.

When you enter the Louvre at the pyramid, there is a grand stair and a cool round elevator to bring you down to the entry level.  Unfortunately, this elevator requires an operator and they tend to wander off.  We waited for nearly ten minutes to get out, while people stood around shrugging that it was not their job.

We walked by the Seine.  It is hard to find, but there are a few ramps that bring you down to the walkway.  Very bumpy and not what we would call compliant, but easier than the stairs.

There are still places we needed to carry the wheelchair down (and up) flights of stairs.  Most notable is the park at the tip of Ile de la Cite where one of the boat tours leaves from.  Irony - we got down and our son realized it was too windy for him to enjoy, so we bumped back up.

Restaurants often have the restrooms downstairs and we found none that were accessible.  I typically left the wheelchair at the top of the stairs and carried him the rest of the way.  OK, since he is still about 43 pounds, but not for long.  On the plus side, every cafe has outdoor seating on the sidewalk, no steps there.

We went to the Pompidou.  Very accessible, but the accessible entrance is around back, as opposed to every entrance being accessible.  The plaza was almost all ramped, so we could only sit at the bottom or top, where it was flat.

The playground at Jardin de Luxembourg is free for a child with a disability and their accompanying adult.  Not much to do in there for a kid in a wheelchair, but still nice.

The Pantheon is lacking in ramps and elevators.  Steps everywhere, luckily it's only two floors and and some platformed areas.

Notre Dame is partially accessible.  There is is a raised walkway (3 steps) in the apse and no ramp.  The line is not as bad as it looks - moves really fast.

Sainte Chapelle is not accessible on holidays, when there is no staff to operate the accessible entrance.  We carried the wheelchair to get in.  The upper chapel, where all the good stuff is, is not at all accessible.  We carried our son up and down a narrow spiral stair and it was totally worth it.

Finally - the restrooms.  In Paris the handicapped stalls are left empty, awaiting a person who needs them.  When a person in a wheelchair comes to the long line at the ladies room, everyone steps to the side and you go to the front of the line.  Why can't people do that in New York?

We loved Paris and the Parisians were kind and welcoming to our family with a wheelchair.

JW's idea

I have three kids and one is in a wheelchair.  We live in New York City and I take them everywhere.  My husband is tired of listening to me rant about how hard it is to get a wheelchair to the gem exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, so he suggested that I start a blog.  I am promising to try to focus on what is really great in New York City for families with wheelchairs.  Because that's what we are - a family with a wheelchair.