Dear Editor:
The improvements to our infrastructure are very important improvements and needs to be addressed I agree, but there is one I fail to see. Making stores and sidewalks more accessible to the handicapped.
There are places without sidewalks let alone access to the ones that are there; stores with steps to enter them so wheelchair people can only wish they could enter; places on Missouri Boulevard where wheelchair people would have to enter the lane of traffic because there are no sidewalks on that side either that are no ramps to get onto what sidewalk there is; highways that have to be crossed at our own risk; roads that have no sidewalks at all so you are forced to either pay your way or are at the mercy of depending on others.
This is the state capital; we should be showing that no person falls to the wayside. We have programs and meetings all the time, but they are scheduled after Handi-Wheels shuts down or they are on a weekend day when Handi-Wheels doesn't run at all. So the only way to reach them is to pay $25 one way for a taxi so to go to an event that is free to the public ends up costing the wheelchair person $50 round trip and that is just in the city. If you have to travel outside of the city you are looking at $75 one way or $150 round trip and that is just to Columbia. Heaven forbid if you have to travel further then that.
These costs are added to a person that may be deciding on if they can afford to eat or buy medicine that they need. Are the handicapped to be left out, are we not considered the equal to a non-handicapped person just because we have to do things differently to achieve the same results? Are we less of a citizen not to be able to reach or go to the many meetings or events just like others? Or are we to be taken advantage of and made to pay extra just to do what is free to others limited to where we can go or how many places we can go to in a day's time, places that non-handicapped think nothing of going to whenever they want?
These are things that also need to be considered for improvement, not just swept under the rug hoping that they go away.
Movie title
Grade: grade here
Cast: cast here
Director: director here
Rating: rating here
Running time: minutes
Showtimes and Ticket Info