Angela Poe Russell: Sidewalks in disrepair hurt WA’s disabled community
Aug 9, 2024, 6:38 AM
A paraplegic man crosses a street in a wheelchair. (Photo: Universal Images Group Archive via Getty Images)
(Photo: Universal Images Group Archive via Getty Images)
I was really struck by how many people connected with my commentary on the “It’s all about Me” disease. It’s something we all can be guilty of. That’s why it often takes a personal experience to gain a new perspective. And that’s exactly what happened to me.
Even though I’ve walked a lot over the years — taking kids to school, running errands — I never considered what it must be like for a person in a wheelchair.
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That is until a friend dealing with Multiple Sclerosis had to start using one. All of a sudden, empathizing with his new experience meant noticing that he could not easily navigate our “walkable” neighborhood.
The sidewalks are a mess. A 2022 report from The Seattle Times revealed only half of the sidewalks in Washington currently comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. In some cities, like Auburn and Marysville, more than 70% were out of compliance, either being too narrow or steep, having huge gaps or not having a curb cut or ramp.
In a world that was already confining, the infrastructure around my friend and others using wheelchairs made the world even smaller. Now that it’s summer, I’ve noticed another barrier. Plants, bushes and other vegetation encroach on the sidewalk, if not covering half of it.
People like me can just walk around or go on the street. A person in a wheelchair cannot. While it’s no more than a minor nuisance to you, it could be a critical barrier for someone else.
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So the moral of the story is that walking in someone else’s shoes always exposes a new perspective. Regarding this one, maybe consider taking some time this weekend to look at your sidewalk. If you see an issue, report it to the city or county. But if it’s something you can fix, like cutting back vegetation to clear a path, I know some folks who would surely appreciate it.
Angela Poe Russell is a local media personality and a fill-in host on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here.
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