Still far to go in helping disabled

I was interested in your front page article Saturday, July 25, on the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That was a wonderful step forward for disabled people and has taken assistance much farther that is the case in many other countries. However, we still have a ways to go to make life more accessible for those with disabilities.

Last year, I had a hip replacement and I broke my kneecap twice. The second time, I was in an immobilizer cast as I was not supposed to bend my knee. We were able to go to Florida for a short vacation. However, it was challenging to get a bulkhead seat in the airplane so that I didn't have to bend my knee.

Also, there are only two of those seats and they are only on the aisle as there is usually a wall in front of the other seats in the bulkhead. The hotel where we stayed had only one handicapped room. I have also found that often handicapped bathrooms are way in the back of restaurant or casino bathrooms.

Often, at fast-food restaurants particularly, the handicapped parking spots are right in front of a curb which is hard to step up to. At one restaurant, the lowered curb was around the side of the restaurant from the handicapped spot.

I could go on and on. The point is the Baby Boomers are in their sixties now and they are going to be facing joint replacements and all those unpleasant things that come with age. I don't think we are ready for that as a country. It would be nice if those designing buildings would have to spend a week in a wheelchair or with a walker or a cane. Then they would really know what is necessary.

Sandra Wittman

Carpentersville