We have a son in a wheelchair and share the same pain

 

 by Karen Louder

Thank you Clawson Family and Loveland Magazine for raising awareness (Accessible parking; out of sight, out of mind, neglected and abused). We have a son in a wheelchair and share the same pain.

Sidewalks have barriers throughout Loveland, parking can be a nightmare and to add to the conversation most of the restaurants in downtown loveland are not wheelchair friendly.

The Works has tried by building a small ramp onto their patio, but it's somewhat dangerous due to the narrowness in size. The other entry is around the back and it's also a tight squeeze for a 350 lb power wheelchair, but I applaud Scott the owner for trying to accommodate. He is a great guy!

Tanos and Paxtons (owners are also amazing people) however, they are not accessible including, the tables on the patio. The tables prevent my son from sitting close to the table so most of his food ends up on his lap!

Loveland Sweets and Pizazz have no access and honestly the bench/tables on the sidewalk don't help with access and maneuvering. It looks charming though!

I should add....the reason for the lack of access to the buildings/restaurants in DT Loveland is because they are considered historic buildings. So they don't have to make access, but I wish they would!

Honestly, we avoid going out because we get so frustrated with access. Events are a nightmare and we avoid them completely except for homecoming parade which was a blast for my son. The only problem was he was stuck on the street versus the sidewalk. Vehicles in the parade were just a foot away from him. Finally a man screamed at the crowd to move so that my son and I didn't get killed! It scared me to death.

Football games are another issue for us. My son can't access his friends who sit in the stands and viewing the game can be difficult, but the Loveland Police officer who watches over the games is a compassionate man. He has allowed my son to sit on the track to see the game better. But it just further separates my son from his friends so it's not always a solution.

I know Loveland cares and we couldn't have picked a better community to live in, but we can do so much better and we have a great opportunity to do so with the new Loveland Station.