`HANDICAPPED ACCESS' IGNORES REALITY OF RAMP.

Byline: Camille L. Boucher

HAVE you ever wondered who set the standards for ``Handicapped Accessible''?

I'm thinking maybe a man 6 feet 4 inches tall, 200 pounds in a turbo-powered off-road wheelchair that, at the push of a button, becomes airborne - as in a helicopter. (I'm 5 feet 2 inches, 120 pounds and a woman.)

Last weekend, wanting to exercise my independence by going to the mall in my wheelchair, I experienced more frustration, anger and fear than self-reliance.

The ramp leading to the store was nowhere near the entrance and opened to a part of the sidewalk not wide enough for a chair. I popped a wheelie ascending this ramp, (which was so steep I nearly sent myself into a backward somersault), I then played race car and rode the wall like a banked track.

When I reached the store, the doors read ``pull'' - (no electronics here).

Opening a heavy door that's practically vacuum sealed by pulling backward in a wheelchair is almost impossible - I waited until someone else went in.

I am new at this wheelchair mode of transport, yet I'm already sensing a problem.

An example:

This store is only bottom level and the elevator to go down is at the outside end of the mall (from the parking lot), and I needed to shop here and proceed into the mall, which is on the next level up. At the mall end of the store was only an escalator. No elevator.

What was I to do? Roll onto this moving mountain of collapsing stairs, saying my prayers as I tumbled over? Of course not. I went all the way out front, got on the elevator, waited for someone to open the doors and leave - I quickly followed as the doors swung shut, nearly ending all my problems.

Bouncing off the curb, I pushed myself along the street, dodging cars that either didn't see me or were aiming purposely to put me out of my misery. Rolling along I found a ramp, only to realize later the sidewalk it put me on ended in a flower bed, no way out except to back off the curb, pulling 90 percent of the muscles in my back. I sat in the roadway hoping for the pain to stop and to be able to move my arms.

Finding another ramp that would get me to the food court took 25 minutes, by then my arms hurt so much I could only make it halfway up it before rolling back down to the street (the incline to this ramp was so sharp the wheels of my wheelchair spun before I could get to the top). I would like to thank the little boy (again) who got off his bike to give me a push up.

I finally made it to the food court. I was so tired and in pain - all I could think of is that I could never do this again.

Real consideration needs to be given to those with physical limitations. Reasonable handicapped standards to start, then maybe you could make enough room for us to wheel ourselves around your racks and counters.

If you want our business and our money, at least make it so we can get in and around your stores.