October 18, 2012
My date's name is Ted, who is
from Atlanta, he was one of the fire fighters on scene back when the World Trade Centers were attacked. He saved many lives but ended up losing his leg. I decided to show him around the suburbs of the Kennesaw area
in which I reside. I wanted to take him to my favorite areas that I enjoy most.
To begin the date, I took him to Kennesaw Mountain National Park where we could
have some privacy and get to know each other. After, I took him to my favorite
restaurant at the Macaroni Grill. To end the date, we decided to go grab a few
drinks at the Red Hare Brewery.
To begin, I would like to evaluate
the dimensions of the environment at Kennesaw Mountain. Wheel chair access to
the top of the mountain is nonexistent. However, there is a road available to
drive your car or take the bus up to the top. Once at the top there is a
platform with benches that overlook the city, there are only stairs to get to
the top so we had to stay in the parking lot and enjoy the view from there.
Since this is a public venue there was not complete privacy however, we were
able to talk and enjoy the view with little interruption. Overall, the comfort
of this first part of the date was the least comfortable because of the limited
accessibility at the top of the mountain.
Macaroni
grill had a ramp right into the front door to the entrance way. There were
well-defined walkways with plenty of width leading to the exits, tables, and
restrooms. This gave the restaurant a minimal crowded vibe making Ted feel
comfortable within the environment. Although, the doors were not automatic, the
service was able to adapt and accommodate for wheelchair entrance by having
greeters open the door. Moreover, they were able to simply remove a chair from
the table so Ted could have a place to sit. This allowed Ted to feel like he
had control of his environment due to the wide-open paths to key areas in the
restaurant and comfortable seating during the meal.
For our last stop we went to the Red
Hare brewery. There was clear and legible parking to which led to an accessible
entrance. This environment provided wide-open areas for room to move around and
socially interact with others. The only issue we had at the brewery was
sampling the brewery beers. The bar was up high to where Ted couldn’t see over
the top of the counter and this situation was not very legible on what to do.
Ted has a great humorous personality and rolled around to behind the bar and
ordered us two drinks. The bartender thought he was witty for doing so and it
really broke the ice, when at first I felt uncomfortable, because I wasn’t sure
what to do in this specific situation.
Overall the date went very well and
during the times of discomfort we were able to adapt and overcome within the
environments we visited. However, I was disappointed in the limited boundaries
provided at Kennesaw Mountain. I wish there was more wheelchair accesses so we
could have explored the top of the mountain some more. Macaroni grill made up
for what it lacked in its physical environment by providing staff to assist Ted
in anyway possible. Lastly, Red Hare was a great place to relax and meet new
people while still feeling comfortable within the open environment.
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