For this project, I decided to write about the afternoon I spent with my little friend Lily. Lily is an 8 year-old little girl who has autism and requires a wheelchair to be mobile. Deciding what activities to plan presented a challenge because I had to consider her disability, her age and the accessibility of the environment.
We started our outing at a local Chick-fil-A restaurant. The Chick-fil-A we decided to visit was wheelchair friendly throughout with convenient ramps available to access the building. There were also gluten-free and casein free options on the menu catering to Lily’s special dietary needs. The counter height where we ordered our food was a little high for Lily to see over but that is a typical kid-sized problem in most environments. There was no issue of crowding in the dining room where we sat at a table with individual chairs. The tables with booths were not as adaptable to wheelchairs. The bathroom was a little cramped to fit a wheelchair and an additional assisting person. However, the adult sized stalls had ample room for an independent person in a wheelchair.
*A snapshot of Chick-fil-A’s gluten free menu.
Next on our adventure I planned for us to see a movie but we had some time before the next showing so we decided to browse for books at Barnes and Nobles. There were ramps outside the store making it easy to enter the building. The outside doors were very heavy and it was difficult for me to hold the door open and simultaneously assist Lily inside. The aisles had ample room for wheelchair access but it took some looking to find an elevator to the second floor where the children’s books were located. The children’s section was accommodating because all the books were housed at lower levels so Lily could see all the available books. I noticed the rest of the store had mostly wheelchair accessible shelving except for the back walls which had higher shelves. The children’s section offered an opportunity for Lily to socialize (term: sociality) with children her own age. She sat one of the little tables and looked through her book selections while engaging with the other children.
After choosing a few books to purchase, we headed over to the movie theater. I read there were “sensory friendly” theaters in Atlanta that might be more comfortable for Lily’s sound sensitivities. I did some research on the Autism Society webpage and found that the movie The Lorax was playing at several sensory friendly AMC theaters nearby. Here is the description of sensory friendly films I found on the AMC website: “The lights are turned up, the sound is turned down and audience members are invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing!” This movie environment offered sensory stimulation without the usual dark, loud setting found at your average movie showing.
The AMC location I chose was inside of Phipps Plaza mall and was quite a distance from the busy parking lot. Fortunately, the mall was easy to navigate and there was elevator access located close to the theater which was on the 2nd floor. The theater was spacious inside and the wheelchair seating in the middle of the theater was very convenient. There were traditional chairs located next to the designated wheelchair spots for accompanying guests to sit in. The movie turned out to be the perfect choice for Lily’s entertainment and sensory needs. It was light enough for her to not be frightened and it was not loud so her sensitive hearing was not over-stimulated.
*Map of Phipps Plaza AMC Theater.
After the movie, we both were in need of a private place to take a well earned afternoon nap. It wasn’t time for Lily to be home yet so I decided to take her to my apartment for some rest. My apartment is located on the second floor which is something I did not consider prior to choosing my home as a destination. It was difficult to carry Lily up the steep stairs but we both made it without incident. I never considered how challenging it would be for someone in a wheelchair to visit a home requiring stairs but no had no elevators.
The inside of my home was spacious enough for the both of us. We both took a long nap before descending back down the stairs when it was time for Lily to go home. We had a great time together and most of the environments I chose were accessible to our needs.
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