A Different Kind of Date

A Different Kind of Date

By Sarah Roberts

    For this assignment, I chose to go out with my friend Cody. Cody has recently broke his knee, so he is in a full leg brace, and I thought it would be interesting to see how well we could manage an average hang out with a new complication. We went out for lunch at Johnny's Pizza and went to see Gravity at NCG Theater.

Accessibility

     Getting around Johnny's was difficult. All of the tables are very close together, and maneuvering between them proved to be a challenge. We ended up sitting at bar so we wouldn't have to slide into a low sitting booth table, or risk being too in the way sitting at a free chair table in the center of the restaurant. Getting to the bar was a pain having to play dodge ball between moving chairs, running children, and quick moving waitresses. Once seated, all was well. Getting through the theater was almost effortless. The hallways are large, the rows have enough space to be easily maneuvered, the seats were far enough apart that we could sit comfortably, and the stairs were shallow enough that they were not a hassle to walk up.

Activity

     There was quite a bit of activity at Johnny's. The restaurant was rather full, little kids were running every way, and waitresses were swiftly walking back and forth from tables to the kitchen. We were confined to our seats so as to not risk any accidental tripping of ourselves or anyone else. Activity at the movies was minimal. We arrived a little late to the movie, so the hallways were fairly empty and everyone had already found their seats. We did not have any trouble with people walking across us, so we sat comfortably the whole movie. Aside from the stress of the movie, that is.

Personal Space

    We did not have much personal space at lunch. Everything was crowded and there were a lot of people there. We had a good amount of personal space at the theater. we were not squished together and it was uncomfortable for Cody to sit with his leg out.

Legibility

     Legibility was not an issue for us where we were.

                                                      Adaptability

     Those around us at the restaurant were not so great at adapting. I feel like adapting and common courtesy go hand in hand. When I see someone who is handicapped, I try to help in whatever I can help. At the restaurant, there was no one trying to corral their kids so we could walk by, there was no "pardon me" from the waitresses as they rushed by hoping not to mull us down. The folks at the movie theater were great! Everyone was kind and made sure to make room as we walked by.

Meaning

     This was an interesting experience for the two of us. Typical hang outs have never been an issue, and for the first time I had to be conscious of what he could and could not do. We had to chose our seat at the restaurant based on where Cody could get to and sit comfortably, and we did the same at the theater. It was interesting to see how a small handicap changed a simple hang out.

Conclusion

      Looking at a public outing from the view of "how accessible is wherever we are going" changed my view on going out. There's a lot more that goes into where you go and what you when you have to think about how you'll be able to get around and be comfortable in those places. It was definitely and interesting change in perspective.