Batavia man deals with getting around in a wheelchair

We've come a long way in helping people with disabilities participate in the daily tasks that most others take for granted. Or so it seems, until someone in your family is suddenly stricken with a handicap that leaves that person in a wheelchair. Then you may notice shortcomings still exist.

Tim and Doris Trout of Batavia know all too well. In a gut-wrenching twist of fate, their 26-year-old son Dan was recently diagnosed with ALS and, as Doris puts it, "has gone from dancing with his fiancee, now his wife, to struggling to walk with a cane, to being confined to a wheelchair in just a few months."

In that short time, the Trouts have noticed many businesses have handicap parking spots adjacent to their building, but many do not, including some that force the handicapped person to try to cross through driving lanes.

Sidewalks can sometimes become tricky to navigate as well.

"Handicap sidewalk mats (ramps cut in the curb) are found on many corners as we take walks in the neighborhood or go to a business," Doris said.

But some of those corners have sewer drains in the same location, making it easy for a wheelchair to get stuck when navigating the slope of the handicap mat, she added.

As for "handicap bathrooms," Doris simply says, "Could someone please have the architect test out the design of the restroom?" In most cases, there simply isn't enough room to maneuver.

Also, doorways and aisles in stores are generally too tight to get a wheelchair through, Doris said.

She's right on that one. In my recent visit with my 91-year-old mother, I was pushing her in a wheelchair and nearly got stuck in a department store aisle. I had to flip sides, move some clothing out of the way and pull her through. Otherwise, I would still be trapped among women's shoes and dresses.

In another oddity, Doris said, for some reason employees at checkout counters will treat a wheelchair-bound person as if they can't speak.

"I have witnessed on several occasions where an employee will look at my son and then offer the next person in line assistance," she said. "To be treated this way, or to be ignored, is totally appalling."

The Trouts can't be the only family dealing with this. Sure, we've made a lot of improvements, but a few more - and a little common sense - won't hurt further advancements.

A welcome change:

You don't want to get overly excited about any development project that is just a sketch or draft on a piece of paper, but it will be a good thing for Geneva as Kent Shodeen pushes forward with a new vision - whether it is another restaurant or some new condos - for the Mill Race Inn property and surrounding area.

Sure, it is tough to push Mill Race Inn into our collective memories, but like so many other things in our communities, it's a part of history that has passed.

And based on how the property has deteriorated the past few years, who isn't anxious to see something new unfold along the Fox River at that site?

Where's the shopping?

A reader weighing in on my recent column about Pheasant Run Resort and its plans to possibly add retail spots on the site took a shot at St. Charles in saying there is no shopping available in town.

City officials were hoping to change that perception with the First Street redevelopment project, but the recession set that back into the Stone Age, making it somewhat unlikely to deliver on the promise for more retail.

So this reader asks why Pheasant Run doesn't just shuttle its customers who are seeking a shopping excursion to Third Street in Geneva, the outlet mall in Aurora or the Geneva Commons.

Pheasant Run does provide a ride service to locations within a six-mile radius of the hotel, when a bellman is available. It may not be the most convenient setup, but it gets visitors around in a pinch.

But the notion of scheduled rides to shopping areas not called St. Charles is likely rife with political implications. Understandably, St. Charles officials would want any visitors in the city's hotels who were considering outside spending excursions to do so in their city.

After all, the resort pays the hospitality and entertainment taxes to the city, which in turn supports the St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote the events and other amenities that should attract more visitors to stay in area hotels.

Great summer song 1:

Has there ever been a catchier summer song than "Come Go With Me" by the Del-Vikings in 1956? Just asking.

The song popped in my head the other day and wouldn't leave. Google it if you want to endure the same fate.

Great summer song 2:

When Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers were singing "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" around that same era, what were they really singing about?

I have fallen in "love" with a lot of things in addition to my wife. Sports teams. Italian beef sandwiches. Gwen Stefani. Dancing with the Stars. Great weather. "Spartacus." The Three Stooges. The Beatles.

All sorts of stuff, really. And I am a fool, so you tell me why.

Plus, it figures I would be waxing nostalgic about summer songs as the season soon fades away.

dheun@sbcglobal.net