Throughout my life, I would keep open a door for a person if I was walking through the door or make sure I would open a door for an individual using an assistive device for mobility. This past year I became that person using the assistive device and have an insight from a different perspective. I started with using a cane and then progressed to a walker, rollator, wheelchair, and I then went back to the wheelchair and now the walker. It has been an eye opener in regard to the heaviness of a door and the lack of ADA design in some buildings that claim its building is an ADA facility.
In early 2012, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which I am dealing with finely after the experiment of which drug and dosage works best. Sometimes I still have flare ups, but the flare-ups are workable. However, one day my left knee popped fully and did not go back in to place in May and I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis (degenerative disease that destroys the cartilage), was walking bone-on-bone on both knees, and was told that both of my knees had to be replaced. Life changed and came with a lot of challenges.
One major problem was getting up and into one of the office buildings I worked at. It took me 30 minutes to get myself situated to and in/out of the car. I had to use the rollator, pack it up with work and personal items, roll to the car's passenger door, unload rollator, fold up and put the rollator in the back seat, pull out a cane, and crawl against the car using the cane to get to the front seat. I am so glad that my driver's car seat is electronic and I was able to position it so I could get in with the least amount of pain. Once I got to work, it would take another 30 minutes just to get out of the car and do everything in reverse just to get up to the building. This building was definitely not ADA. No button to push for handicap entrance, the door was heavy, and the rollator just barely fit in (it would have been harder in a wheelchair). Thank goodness for the back sides of our bodies or else I would never have been able to get in and out of the building.
The bathroom was another obstacle, as the doors are heavy (back side used again here), the handicap stall's door could not open all of the way as it hit the wall mounted paper towel holder and trash can combo or you could not pull all the way up to open it for those that pulled opened, and definitely not long enough so that I could close the door fully for privacy. Some bathrooms in various buildings, such as the arthritic center, doctors offices, hospitals, restaurants, were the same including not being able to reach the soap dispenser, faucet, or towels to dry your hands. It was harder in a wheelchair as I could not reach the door with my leg in an upright position to enter and exit any bathroom. The bathrooms have been designed to ensure that an individual using an assistive mobility device has to be dependent on someone - be it the entrance door, the handicap stall for privacy, the soap dispenser, the sink faucet, and even the towels for drying. So much for trying to be independent!
During my time of using the rollator at one office building, I have to commend and thank God for the help from several unknown individuals from male attorneys in suits opening the women's bathroom door without asking or those who asked if they could help when they saw me folding up and putting the rollator in to the car. There were several other individuals who would just stand and watch me during my process and would not say anything to me. I heard their comments, such as, if she lost weight she would not need to use the rollator, or look, she was able to do it herself, and then others were not sure whether to come up and offer help or not. My thought is ASK or JUST DO IT! When someone helped, granted I felt bad because I felt like a burden, but then again, I was so tired of lifting the rollator or having to struggle to position myself to open the door that the help I did get was so appreciated and for those times, I did not have to struggle with the rollator or the entrance door. A few seconds of getting assistance had a lasting effect.
Conclusion - one never knows what life is going to bring them and you may be the one needing assistance one day. Over the last 25 years, I have cared for several people (parents, relatives, and strangers) as either a caregiver or legal guardian and I have always been there to help in any way I could. It felt good knowing that I was able to help someone out and pass along a smile. Now, being on the other side of things this year, finding out that chivalry is not dead also felt good. Never be afraid to approach someone who uses an assistive device for mobility and offer to help OR just open that door without asking. Even though that individual has his/her own system of working the obstacles, holding open the door does make it easier and will add a smile to the face and warmth to the heart to both of you.
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