Dining out with the purple pound

milo

Much has been written about the power of the purple pound and why businesses should court customers with disabilities. Why then is eating out when you use a wheelchair such a problem? 

I like taking my wife out for lunch, sometimes it's just a supermarket cafe while we shop, other times it's to a pub or restaurant. An hour or two without the kids can be bliss. There is one snag we regularly find though, getting a table that my chair will fit under. 

So often we are shown to a table that has legs that stop a wheelchair from being pulled right in. That's if we can get to the table in the first place, why do pubs insist on having raised seating areas? For a wheelchair user,  one  step might as well be a thousand for the barrier it creates. 

It's not difficult to get it right. At this point I want to say well done to Morrisons.  Ok, maybe their cafe isn't known for gourmet cuisine,  but our local store recently introduced something wonderful. They now have tables designed for wheelchair users,  simple, effective and much appreciated.

Maybe we should make cafes, pubs and restaurants work harder if they want a share of the purple pound. 

unluckyglo

Not a wheel chair but a scooter. Similar situation. Doors need to be opened so must take someone. Some places have double doors get stuck in them. Yes tables always a problem. I always say thank you garden centres. Good layout and suitable tables 

milo

@unluckyglo, doors are an issue. We have a fairly new pub nearby. They have 2 sets of heavy glass doors to go through, would have been useful if they'd made them automatic. 

bam

@milo it's funny there are these doors that I have to use on a regular basis that are really really heavy doors. I'm laying here trying to remember where those doors are. But anyway I hate those doors. they're heavy and I think they just dont like me a great deal. It's going to be funny the next time I go through those doors I'm going to say Milo Milo I remember the doors now!!

milo

@bam you can always try my method, I use my footplate as a battering ram if all else fails

bam

Well, I guess I can give it a good whack with my cane

bam

@milo I guess I can give it a good whack  with my cane

onmybiketoo

It is annoying to me that restaurants provide high chairs for children but not wheelchair accessible tables.  My Hubby uses an electric chair with fixed armrests and this often means that he has to sit sideways on because he can not get near enough the table to eat. Table feet design often mean his footplates will not fit. Table heights are more often than not inaccessible. We rarely go out to eat now-a-days because of.

milo

@onmybiketoo that's exactly the kind of thing I was referring to. The other one is when the only table available is one with the tall stools meaning it's out of reach from a wheelchair. It's a shame that it puts you off eating out though. It's another example of businesses not thinking about disabled customers. At the end of the day they're missing out on business.