This is a repost of an article I wrote for Guest Check Issue No. II. If you are able to, I encourage you to purchase the digital magazine at the Read Spill shop.
Chronic Inaccessibility – Part I
by Michelle Khuu
What does access and inclusion mean to you?
Do you define it based on how people like you are treated? Or do you define it based on people who are diametrically different to you?
To tell the truth, access is going to mean different things to different people, based on backgrounds, life experiences and ability levels.
Here are three different people who all have very different perspectives on accessibility and inclusion and what it means when going out to eat.
Michele and I have names that are separated by exactly one “L”. It turns out that we are also separated by a length of several yards as we wait for each other at opposite entrances of Beatrix in Streeterville. Even from that distance, her warm friendliness was apparent. After mentioning that I had recently moved to Illinois, she immediately offered to show me around the downtown hotspots and spoke enthusiastically about Chicago’s outdoor music festivals.
Michele is living the foodie dream. She lives close to some of the best restaurants in Chicago, earns enough to eat out every day, and indeed does just that. The only hitch? A lot of restaurants won’t let her in through the door.
I’ll let her tell you about it in her own words.
“I remember very clearly, I was really excited to have happy hour with my neighbours. I had heard about this new bar that opened up in the neighbourhood. I called them and I was like, “Hey, I’m a wheelchair user, do you guys have an accessible entrance?”
“Yes,” they said, “come on over, no problem.”
“And so we get there and the host comes out and says, “Oh, no. We have a step. We don’t have a ramp. There’s no wheelchair access here.”
“It was embarrassing because I was with all my friends. I had made the reservation, and they were looking at me, as if to ask, “what do we do now?”
“It felt really hurtful and a little discriminatory. I have a job. I’m willing to spend money here. Why can’t I come in?”
I interviewed Michele over coffee to find out what it’s like to navigate disability access in Chicago’s bustling food scene. She had a lot to say.
Michelle: What does accessibility mean to you?
Michele: I always think about accessibility in terms of bathrooms. Is the bathroom on the same level, and does it have enough space for my wheelchair to maneuver around? I’ve been to restaurants where the bathroom is up a flight of stairs, or in the basement where the lift isn’t working, or it’s on the same level but it’s too small for me to get into.
I like being able to get into a restaurant on my own, independently. With my disability, I don’t have use of my hands so it’s hard for me to pull open doors. I’ve had issues where I’ll arrive at a restaurant and there’s no automatic door. I’ll have to sit outside and wave at someone to open the door for me. That’s embarrassing, and also uncomfortable, especially if it’s winter and it’s negative 20 degrees.
Michelle: How important is customer service?
Michele: Customer service is huge. I can’t cut my food very easily–independently–and I can’t pick up heavy glassware, so I always ask if I can get my drink in a to-go cup or I’ll ask for my steak to be sliced up in the kitchen. At some restaurants, the staff will pause when I make a special request and look at me funny. It makes people with disabilities feel not welcomed because of whatever limitation they have.
Customer service is about welcoming people; that’s hospitality, right?
Michelle: Why did you choose to meet at Beatrix Streeterville?
Michele: This place is strategically attached to a hospital, so they have a lot of folks in wheelchairs who come in. The staff understand that people have different access needs and they’re very kind and empathetic. They’re just more attuned, and they look at disability as “normal.”
Beatrix has single-stall, gender neutral bathrooms which are spacious enough for the wheelchair. It’s also good for people with strollers or luggage. They have two separate entrances, so if one automatic door is not working, there’s another way to get in. The tables are spaced far enough apart that I can move around comfortably and not knock down everybody when I roll through.
And they have a really good cup of coffee.
Michelle: How do you find out if a place is accessible?
Michele: I usually read websites and blogs to find new restaurants to try. The first thing I’ll do is look them up on Google Streetview to see if the entrance is flat or not. If there’s a step that I can see on Google then I won’t even bother. But if it looks pretty clear, I’ll still call to verify and ask if they have an accessible entrance and bathroom and make a reservation for a lower table that is not a booth. If there’s no accessible bathroom, then I’ll have to plan accordingly and not drink any coffee or water.
Ideally, information about accessibility should be available for everyone. I know Google Maps is trying to do it, but it’s not complete. They might only mention wheelchair accessible entrances and sometimes bathrooms. I find that photos are helpful. You always see restaurants post photos of their food, which is great, but it would also be nice to see photos of the front entrance, the dining spaces or the bathroom. The more information, the better.
I answer the Google Local Guides questions on accessibility wherever I go and I would encourage more people to do that as well. Restaurants want to encourage and attract more customers – they’re losing out on potential revenue if they don’t have this information out there.
Michelle: What’s one easy change that restaurants can make to become more accessible?
Michele: The easiest change would be using a door stop to prop your door open to make it feel welcoming because that’s your first point of contact. If I can’t even get in to talk to the host, then I won’t be able to ask about the food or getting a table.
Growing up, my family ran restaurants, so I understand that it’s not easy. These changes don’t have to cost a lot of money. You don’t have to redo your entire restaurant to buy a cheap portable ramp off the internet for 50 bucks.
And if you’re a business owner or a manager, train your staff. Tell them, “Hey, people with disabilities will come into your restaurant. Don’t make them feel out of place or strange. Be accommodating.”
Michelle: What’s one thing you want the hospitality industry to know about accessibility?
Michele: I had a car accident when I was 20, so I joined the disability community later in life. Something that people forget about disability is that anybody can join at any time. You can be completely fine and then the next day or hour, not. It’s a community that touches everyone. Even if you, yourself, are able-bodied, you probably know someone who isn’t. If you have a grandma or grandpa with a wheelchair, do you want to exclude your grandma or grandpa from coming to your restaurant?
Disability is the largest minority. If you can be accessible to people with disabilities, you are capturing a large market. You’re more welcoming to people who have temporary disabilities like crutches or parents with strollers.
At the end of the day, we’re just people who want to enjoy life, and eat out. We want to be able to have a cup of coffee or a slice of cake just like everybody else.
About Michele:
Michele Lee [Chicago, IL] is an experienced finance professional and diversity leader in the Chicago disability community. You can watch this Google Local Guides video to check out how Michele navigates Chicago in a wheelchair, or watch how she uses Alexa here.
About the author:
Michelle [Chicago, IL] was born chronically incapable of listening to mansplaining, a condition also known as reverse slope hearing loss. She moved from Australia to Illinois in 2019 and still considers American style sandwiches to be an exciting novelty. When she is not knitting her fingertips into oblivion, she runs Accessibull Eats, a website that provides businesses with information about disability inclusion.
Reader Assignment:
What does inclusion mean to you? What makes a place accessible for you?
Tag or DM @readspill with your answers.