Courtney Adair Johnson

​What is the worst part of not being able to get inside a building or space?

 

From my experience it’s the doorway issue, where the doorway seems to have been built too small for my wheelchair to get through. Also, it’s confusing when the accessible parking lot is hard to find or which side of the building is accessible for my chair.

 

 

Describe an experience when you were unable to get inside a building that you needed to access.

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I remembered one time when me and my family went to a restaurant and I couldn’t eat indoors because all the tables were too high. We had to eat outside because of this.

 

 

How did that make you feel?

 

It made me feel less important because I thought I was forgotten about and sometimes I feel sad. Also, that they don’t want my business because I am a in wheelchair and I don’t have the same abilities that a normal person has.

 

 

What do you wish people knew about individuals who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices? 

 

That we have the right to have access to everything that exists for people that don’t use wheelchairs.  Don’t treat us any differently than people that don’t use wheelchairs.

 

 

What are three things people who design buildings or spaces should consider about people with differing accessibility needs?

 

Always have an elevator so people can get upstairs and downstairs. If not, that then have a ramp or put the spaces that people need to access downstairs.