I won’t lie. At first, I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it through this day. Working with Architect Carol Sundstrom, Consultant Karen Braitmayer, and Contractor Thomas Jacobson, we signed up for AIA’s Tour of Architects. We all thought it crucial to showcase our...
Before I became a wheelchair user, I saw myself everywhere. Everywhere. Colleges seemed meant for me. And cars. Resorts would cater to me. Doors of restaurants would open, as would stadiums. All kinds of goods and services awaited me, so said the advertisements. How...
I am thankful for 911 operators. I am thankful for fire fighters. I am thankful for paramedics. I am thankful for Emergency Room personnel. I am thankful for teaching hospitals like University of Washington’s Medical Center. I am thankful for the intelligence of...
Far more articulate people than I have done substantive work on how language shapes perception. But I’m not sure that work has permeated our culture. At least, not yet. I’m constantly amazed by the lack of sensitivity in the press and in casual...
I grew up at the end of a country lane in an historic Colonial house in an era before play dates. There weren’t many kids around, but I had the woods, a field, and a passion for sports. In the eighth grade, after being dragged to many of my older sisters’...
Why is it so consistently and persistently hard for event staff, restaurant hosts, movie ushers, rental car agents and other front-line staffers to problem-solve when it comes to disability? Why do so many cite the rules or need to check with a supervisor? Why are...
My favorite breakfast place is not around the corner, but an hour away from Seattle’s Pioneer Square–if I catch the right ferry–on Whidbey Island. It’s a must-stop for those infrequently sunny weekends, along with the West Coast’s most...
The tendency for humans to pigeon hole is strong. I know because I’ve been that pigeon. Or that guy in the wheelchair. But, of course, I am more than that. Much more. I am also a devoted and happy husband. Recently my funny valentine suffered a severe ankle...
I do not want to overdose on my medication, nor do I want to suffer painful or life-threatening side effects. So I read the information that comes with my prescriptions. Make that attempt to read. The text on labels and warnings is impossibly small. I need a...
(…well, maybe not all the time…) In this case, I alerted an information center connected to a major public works project about an access issue. There is a substantial step at the entrance to their building. They responded by purchasing a light-weight...
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