Living in Grass Valley/Nevada City is very interesting, and not a good interesting at the momentI find it incredible that 20 years after the ADA law was passed in the US that these towns, particularly Nevada City remains for the most part inaccessible. Last week I was carried into a sushi restaurant by a good Samaritan, who by the time we got to the table almost passed out from the strain. Being royally pissed off by the time we sat down at the indignity of the situation, in addition to the possible heart attack given to the poor fellow, I complained to my aunt and the waitress. Both seemed quite indifferent to the situation and my aunt even defended the restaurant by saying its very expensive and a lot of work for the owner. Needless to say my blood pressure went dangerously high and I attempted to channel my Buddha nature. In actuality, all the restaurant needed was a small plywood board with a few bricks for support costing all of perhaps $5.00. I chose to write on this topic today, as I am sitting in this cafe that I had to go around the back, move the garbage cans from the pathway , have a nice man help me over cracked pavement and another patron go into the café to bring out a waiter. This is utterly unacceptable in the US, but people don’t understand it as blatant discrimination. The majority view it as the poor disabled girl needing assistance. But having an inaccessible building is as good as posting a sign saying “Physically Disabled Not Allowed”. People hate to view it this way as it is reminiscent of signs 40 years ago which read “Colored Not Allowed”, but having inaccessible buildings means just that. Popular excuses use expense as the main factor in not providing ramps and taking other accessibility measures, which is absurd. As aforementioned, one can purchase a piece of plywood for as much as a cup of coffee. Funnily enough, the waiter wanted to give me the cup of tea I ordered for free, as he felt guilty for the trouble I went through, and I cannot imagine how much money they have lost to guilt, that could have been put towards an accessible entrance.

I am so sick of having to smile and be effusively thankful in order to be helped into an inaccessible building that has absolutely no excuse to be so.

I shall be posting “Disabled People not Allowed” on every inaccessible building. See if people question taking their business there.