Handicap accessible Girdwood, Alaska

Monday, September 15th, 2008 | Great accessible communities

One thing I want to accomplish in this blog is to draw attention to the communities that we visit with Quincy that are welcoming and accessible. It’s amazing the different vibe you get every time you travel to a new place. It’s not just about the physical accessibility of a community for those in wheelchairs but more about the attitude of the folks who live there. Girdwood is one of those exceptional places. This little community in South Central Alaska isn’t really all that accessible for those who must be in a wheelchair, but the lack of ramps and sidewalks is made up for by the total acceptance of everyone living there for my daughter. People don’t blink twice when we enter our favorite restaurant, Chair 5, they just move their chairs make room for us to pass. No one stares. No one seems to think there is anything unusual about my litle family making our way through the weather to go to the park or the store or anywhere. The children don’t stare, the parents don’t mind…we do not offend or frighten, we aren’t even a curiosity. We are simply a family. It’s one of the few places I have taken Quincy where we are treated as a completely normal family. So, Girdwood has become our haven. We have a small getaway there and spend as much time as we can. We ski and bike and hike and rest and play and we do it every single day without ever being reminded that we are different. Amazing people in an amazing town…anyone with a child like Quincy must try to visit Girdwood someday. It will be worth your effort.

Tags: accessiblity, developmentally disabled children, Stigma of disability, wheelchair