Have you been to Dean Corbett's new restaurant, "An American Place"? It's out in the 'burbs, in front of Costco, at 5050 Norton Healthcare Blvd. The building is a 150-year-old farmhouse, completely renovated -- I had wondered what the access would be like with this kind of a renovation.
But the access inside looked very good to me the night we were there with friends.
You enter the restaurant from the big front porch, and of course big farmhouse steps lead up to that porch. But, indeed, there is a ramp off to the side. A fine ramp; a regulation ramp. It takes you up to the porch over on the side, where you then travel across the porch -- about 30 feet, maybe -- to the front door.
But...
(And yeah, isn't there always a but??)
When we visited, it was cold, cold, cold -- naturally; it's winter! Yet on that front porch, despite outside temperatures that assured there'd be no outdoor dining for months yet, were all the tables and chairs that will grace it for eating out on the porch come warm weather.
And there's no way in the world someone in a wheelchair could navigate through that gantlet of tables and chairs. They're way too close together.
It's bad now, but can you imagine it when there are folks sitting at all those tables?
"Excuse me, can I get past?"
"Pardon me, can you pull your chair up?"
"I'm sorry, can you move for a moment?"
I can't imagine any wheelchair user coming to Corbett's and feeling OK about even trying to run that gantlet.
As with so much when it comes to access, I assume it's oversight. So... what's going to be done about it?
If something isn't done, the fully accessible restaurant is going to still pretty much be offlimits to the wheelchair crowd -- that is, those who can even afford this very pricey but wonderful venue.
