In the Blinq of an Eye

In the Blinq of an Eye

It seems I've become an overnight sensation out there in the so-called blogosphere. Alerted last week to a request by Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Daniel Rubin for insight into the accessibility situation in Philly, I contacted Mr. Rubin and began an e-mail dialogue on the subject. Today, one of my e-mails appeared in Mr. Rubin's blog, Blinq, along with a link to Winheld's World.

To be sure, the exposure is wonderful. But I'm even happier to know that Mr. Rubin has pledged to spend more time looking into accessibility here in the City That (Supposedly) Loves You Back. I mean, I'm about the biggest Philadelphia cheerleader around. Philly's a great place, with lots to see and do, much of which is readily accessible to those of us in wheelchairs. Still, there's plenty of room for improvement. Curb cuts and sidewalks can be treacherous; many shops and restaurants are out of reach. And don't even get me started on parking and mass transit!

Accessibility in cities is to be the focus of my master's thesis in urban studies, so I'll be learning more in the coming weeks and months. Meanwhile, if you have any observations that you'd like to share about accessibility in the city where you live, please consider posting a comment...

All Flyered Up

All Flyered Up

With the Phillies' brief playoff run over and the Eagles' season seemingly in disarray, it's time for some Flyers hockey! After a dismal season last year, the team made some major upgrades and they figure to make the playoffs this year and hopefully do some real damage. Tonight, I had a chance to check them out in person, as they took on the Atlanta Thrashers at the Wachovia Center. See me all dressed for the occasion in my authentic Flyers jersey (which makes me look huge, by the way).

As you can see from the view in the picture here, my father and I had great seats. The players looked huge and the puck was easy enough to follow. The only problem I had was the frigid temperature inside the arena (it is home to an ice hockey team after all). My driving hand got so cold that by the end of the game, I could barely control my wheelchair -- even after putting my driving hand in a wool sock for most of the game.

The Wachovia Center is very wheelchair-friendly, though it wasn't always that way. Eleven years ago, when the building opened, wheelchair users like myself loved the view -- until we realized we could not see ANYTHING when people in front of us stood up at exciting points of the game. Simply amazing how such an error could be made in the construction of a facility costing hundreds of millions of dollars! A class action lawsuit followed, resulting in the installation of elevated platforms, accessible with use of lifts like the one pictured above.

I suppose all is well that ends well, as the sightlines for those of us in wheelchairs are now pretty spectacular. Good thing, too, because last night's game was definitely worth seeing, as the Orange and Black easily dispatched the winless Thrashers, 4-0.

LET'S GO FLYERS!!!

Breaking Bread, Burmese Style

Breaking Bread, Burmese Style

Winheld's World has become exotic lately -- well, at least when it comes to trying different foods. Tonight, I had dinner at a Burmese restaurant in Philadelphia's Chinatown district. Rather fitting in light of the current situation in Myanmar (Burma's official name). What better way to show solidarity with the Burmese people than to sample their cuisine.

I liked this restaurant from the second I rolled up the perfectly accessible ramp leading to its entrance. Inside, the hostess seated us at a table that was easy for me to get to, without my having to ask other people to move so I could get by. Even better, she pulled the chair away from the left side of the table -- as if she knew that I like the person feeding me to sit to my right!

The food certainly didn't disappoint, either. My favorite was the Banana Leaf Fish (pictured above). I figured that instead of another photo of yours truly, I would show the food I ate. Sorry if this makes you hungry!

The Northern Burma Fried Noodles (left) and the Jungle Chicken (below) were very tasty, too. We also had the Thousand Layer Bread with Curry Chicken Dip, as well as the Calamari Ala Burma Salad, but my dining companions and I were so hungry that we forgot to take a picture of those items beforehand!

A great time was had by all, which made it a bit easier to digest the Phillies' playoff elimination. As we like to say in Philly, there's always next year...