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After reading two letters in less than a week complaining about wheelchairs riding in the street, I could not contain myself anymore.
I do not live in Sunbury but I do live in a wheelchair 24/7.
My first comment about the letters is the ramps that are being installed on the corners are only a few years late. Those access ramps should have been installed back in the ‘90s, by law.
A copy of the ADA (American Disabilities Act) laws can be obtained free by going to www.ada.gov/, or calling 800-514-0301 (voice), 800-514-0383 (TTY).
I cannot speak for every person riding a wheelchair in the street. I can speak for myself, and I am not just speaking about Sunbury.
It is the case in almost every city around here. If you have to park in the middle of a block because usually someone without a handicap placket is parked on the corner, you must get your chair out of your car and ride to the corner in the street to get to a ramp.
I haven’t been to a city yet, and I consider myself pretty well traveled, where there are ramps in the middle of a block. And let’s just talk a few minutes about the blocks that do not have cement sidewalks.
If you are in a manual wheelchair, it is very hard to get over rocks, stones, sand or dirt. And let’s not even mention the snow piles at all the curbs in the winter. Instead of complaining about wheelchairs being in the streets, spend a day in a wheelchair and find out what it is like.
Carole Clark,
Coal Township
