When facing a disability whether it be visible or not, finding someplace accessible can be a HUGE challenge. Planning a day trip in advance can be a burden too. I have heard from several parents just how difficult it is to worry about finding a changing table, a handicap accessible bathroom, a ramp, etc…the list could go on and on. Well, that’s why I decided to highlight what I think to be such an AMAZING resource. So here it goes…
It’s called DESTINATION:ACCESSIBLE. Ever heard of it? I will leave the link to the webpage below but first want to tell you a little bit about the woman who started it. Her name is Roberta Rosenberg. We were lucky to have her come speak at one of our Support Group meetings. Here’s a brief background….
She lives local and was caring for her mother while she was sick. While assisting her mother around in a wheelchair, she began noticing all of the troubling barriers. She realized how much of a burden it seemed to others to move their chair in an inch for a wheelchair to get through or how far the accessible bathroom is from the main entrance for places. After an unfortunate accident, she also faced her own time being in a wheelchair and did not realize all of the challenges there were to getting around. Stairs, doorways, parking….you only notice these things are a problem when it becomes a problem for you, right? Its hard when you aren’t thinking about it day to day navigating your familiar environment, until you have a barrier.
So, she and a close friend partnered into starting Destination:Accessible. Unfortunately, her friend moved, but Roberta is still dedicated to continuing this site for others. Initially it began as a site for seniors, but once she realized the expansive population that could use these resources it is now used for ALL ages.
Destination:Accessible is a “Know Before You Go” resource.
So, if you and your family are looking to go somewhere on the weekend, whether it be a park, a museum, a show… you can look up the destination on her website and find all of the information you need. Her checklist includes: Parking, entrance, restroom accessibility, grounds, seating, and food services. It also includes ease of navigation, which is not limited to wheelchair accessibility but also for individuals that may have limited endurance.
Roberta includes all leisure locations and has individually gone (sometimes dragging her husband along) to evaluate all of these locations. As you can imagine, that is extremely time consuming! If there are locations you would like evaluated OR you want to join the force and help out, she includes this checklist on her webpage, or you can CLICK HERE.
Be sure to leave her a review, and to SPREAD THE WORD. The special needs community is so lucky to have someone out there like her to provide this resource for everyone!
Also, if you are interested in signing up for our support group, CLICK HERE to sign up! 🙂
-Christine
If you have any questions, email us: christine@breakthroughptli.com or you can call 631-348-0959
She discovered her passion for the neurologic pediatric and adult population during her clinical affiliation at a special services school in Cape May, New Jersey. She is an active member of the APTA and continues to take post-graduate course work related to treatment methods for neurological diagnoses.
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