Dinner and a movie

When I first read about the assignment, I wanted to ensure that I was able to experience it fully instead of pretend; therefore, I took my fiancé’s grandmother out to dinner and back to her house to watch a movie. I was unable to drive my own vehicle because it is not wheelchair accessible, as her disability requires her to have. In order to accommodate her, I drove the family’s much larger SUV in order to easily move her wheelchair from place to place.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, I noticed a ramp leading up to the shopping center in the middle of the strip. The ramp, while it made the restaurant easily accessible to her and anyone else wheelchair dependent, was located a little farther down from the restaurant requiring extra effort to enter the Japanese steakhouse. I have always observed the ramps and knew their purpose; however, I have never been concerned about anyone with me reliant on one.

The doors to the facility were rather close together and in the shape of a sharp corner so it was difficult for her to get into the restaurant. Furthermore, the tables and chairs in the restaurant were arranged in a way that made it quite difficult to navigate to our table. Overall, the layout of the entire restaurant was not comfortable for someone wheelchair bound. This was a major concern because they did not have a way to easily adapt their environment to someone with a disability, such as hers. The best the restaurant could do to accommodate our party, was seat us at one of the tables near the front of the restaurant. The restaurant’s lack of available seating for people with disabilities could prove to be an important issue, as on busy nights, patrons who are wheelchair bound may have to wait excessively longer than anyone else, as they may have to wait for one of the front tables to become vacant.

Crowding was a problem with the limited space and constant activity at the front of the restaurant due to other parties, hostesses, and servers. We would have felt a little less crowded if we would have been seated further back in the restaurant, where there was not as much movement; however, this was not an option for us, as navigating a wheelchair through the tables and chairs would have been impossible. After we finished eating, I accompanied her to her house, where she lives and is cared for by her son, to watch a movie. The house had a large ramp leading up to the door and the house was a one level, ranch style home.

I looked forward to the opportunity to spend time with her in her own home, as this provided us with complete privacy. I was able to observe how she maneuvered around her house and how she adapted her home to her disability. Sociality was definitely better at her house, although this did not seem to be a problem in the restaurant either. Nevertheless, in her home, we were able to converse and interact effortlessly with no distractions or noise from other people, offering a more personal connection. After some conversation, we started the movie, which was a great source of sensory stimulation. The film was entertaining as we laughed together and talked periodically.

The entire evening went quite well, despite a few aggravations with the restaurant’s lack of accommodation, but overall I was thrilled and enlightened by this experience. I never realized how difficult it can be for someone with a disability to go out, for what seems like such a normal activity for me, because not everyone provides an environment aimed at satisfying the needs of the disabled. It never occurred to me that a disability could restrict someone from a restaurant, but after my date, I am now very aware of the limitations that can exist on individuals with disabilities.