indi 🪡Jun 17

Long day. Took my mother to an eye exam, which revealed the need for her to get her other cataract done, which has called for a neverending cycle of explaining to her how this all works re: When She Finally Will Get Glasses.

It's always a gamble when places tell me they're not explicitly accessible "but we've had people in wheelchairs before!" This time it worked out okay. Didn't have to leave. That's not always how it goes.

Show threadindi 🪡
Sometimes "meets requirements" or ADA compliant doesn't in reality mean accessible. It's always a gamble. Like her doctor's office - they have wheelchairs there for patients to use and a door that opens on its own, but the exam rooms are tee-tiny and it's always a struggle to get her both in the room and pointed at where the doctor will be. #caregiverlife
Jun 18 at 12:47amWeb
Show threadMexicanYentaJun 18
@indi took my mom to the brand new clinic on the Air Force base shortly after it opened, and they had their first fire drill while we were there. The elevators were off limits during the drill, and they had no way to get people who couldn’t use stairs down from the second floor. The head nurse ended up ordering some enlisted guys who just happened to be there to carry my mom down the stairs, walker and oxygen tank, and all.
Show threadindi 🪡Jun 18
@MexicanYenta oh wow. That's.. appalling, I think, is the word I want here. How do you have a clinic and no plan to get everyone out of it in an emergency?
Show threadMexicanYentaJun 18
@indi the next time we were there, the same head nurse saw us and came over to reassure us that they had fixed the problem and it would never, ever happen again. I remember that at the time of the incident, she was furious about it. I was glad she was on our side!
Show threadindi 🪡Jun 18
@MexicanYenta that's good! But it never should have happened in the first place! Oh stories like this make me so mad.
Show threadMexicanYentaJun 18

@indi yeah, safety is supposed to be the first consideration in just about anything you do.

Well, except petting a cat’s tummy. You already know there’s likely going to be an injury.