I could rant about the American Museum of Natural History in New York City endlessly.
There aren't enough elevators. They don't have signs encouraging able-bodied people, without little children or strollers to leave the elevator to people who need them. The guards are rude and not knowledgeable. And they have a perfectly accessible entrance on 77th Street, but make you walk/roll to 81st Street to enter by the planetarium, so that you can then walk/roll back to see the gems.
My son without disabilities went to camp for a week and they invited families to come the last day for an hour to see what they did. My son noticed that there was no room for his brother's chair and said they would need to leave some space. The teacher told him that his brother would have to stay in the back.
We asked for an accessible bathroom and were told that the only one on that side of the museum was the family bathroom. There we waited behind able-bodied families with 10 year old children for 20 minutes before giving up and using the bathroom in the gas station on 110th Street.
When my husband asked if there was another wheelchair accessible bathroom, the guard said that the wheelchair could go anywhere. When he pointed out that the stalls were too small for a wheelchair, the guard said " Oh yeah. I guess so." So much for training the staff.
I was in the Space area one day and parked my son's wheelchair in an out of the way place, so that my son, who walks with assistance could move around a little. I was told that it was not permitted. Untrue. That was blocking an exit. Untrue. And I had to move now. Just rude and insensitive, and I hate them so much.
How about all of the new exhibits that have areas that are not accessible, have lifts that are kept locked off with no guards in sight and no phone to call one? They should be ashamed!
I'd never go again, if I could avoid it. In fact, maybe I won't.
