In 2019 I made a complaint to an office that handles complaints about accessibility about a ramp and door at a local post office that was not accessible at all for people who use wheelchairs or walkers. I am not a walker or wheelchair user, but I noticed that there was a large gap in the ramp that wheels could get trapped in, the ramp itself was short, and provided no space for someone to turn to enter, and the door had no button AND could not even open completely to let someone through.
It’s hard to see from the Google Maps, but it was BAD. And it pissed me off. So I made a report. I got passed around from office to office for a few months, then nothing. 2020 comes around and the pandemic is hitting a high. I’ve moved towns and I’m dealing with a kind of shitty living situation that’s driven the ramp out of mind. I got a call one day from a man in one of the many offices the complaint was forwarded to. He is adamant that this ramp and door will be fixed. I mean, he assures me with passion that this will be fixed. At the time, I was really impressed and happy to hear something like that because I didn’t think anyone would still care while so much bad stuff was going on in the world.
And then I get mistreated and harassed by people based on my disabilities and gender. I become homeless because of it. I made an official complaint about discrimination, and the offenders lie through their teeth. The office handling my complaint says it didn’t happen, and closes the case. So I don’t exactly believe in these protections and offices that promise you’ll be helped so much anymore. I checked Google Maps one last time to see no changes sometime in 2021. It’s been a bitter, shitty feeling to hold on to for years now.
And then I checked my email just now.
Ideally, they’d have added a door with an automatic opener, but they actually fixed everything else! They fixed it!
They fucking fixed it!
So, make those complaints. If a business or building is breaking the law by being inaccessible, fuck them up. Get your friend to report it, too. Maybe it will take four years, but maybe not. Maybe someone will genuinely care and actually fix it.
