She's been on crutches since she had polio as a child. If there's someplace she has trouble getting in to, she takes her business someplace else. And, sometimes, sends them a (polite) letter explaining why they aren't getting her business. Sometimes in these letters she points out to them that she is the travel and entertainment writer for a post-polio[1] support group, and that a large part of her review will be how accessible a place is.

The one thing she doesn't do is demand that everyone accommodate her. For instance, we visited Historic Williamsburg a few years ago. None of the buildings had elevators. Many of the staircases were steep, narrow and without handrails. It was truly just like it had been centuries ago, before the ADA was passed. Some members of my mother's group argued that if they couldn't make things wheelchair accessible, they shouldn't receive any tax dollars. They didn't care that making a historically accurate site accessible would have renderd it no longer historically accurate. They didn't care.

There are unfortunately many activists who believe if there is something that they can't take part in, then no one else should be allowed to either.


[1] In the past 10 years or so, it has become apparent that many people who had polio as children but didn't appear to have any long-lasting effects actually did suffer permanent damage. As these people are getting into their 50s and 60s, the point where other physical problems (arthritis, osteoperosis, etc.) start to crop up, they experience profound and rapid degeneration in their extremities. People who "recovered" 40 years ago and have since lead normal lives suddenly find themselves in wheelchairs.