Ms. Wheelchair Louisiana calls for better sidewalks

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – One girl sure to a wheelchair is looking on metropolis leaders to repair the sidewalks, and make them extra handicap pleasant.

Each day, Elizabeth Nealy is tough at work on varied initiatives, however typically she wants a break. Taking a stroll exterior, does the trick. “Effectively each avenue has its points, however I’m not capable of get across the block with out getting on the street as a result of the sidewalks are so impassable,” explains Nealy, who can also be Ms. Wheelchair Louisiana.

Nealy has it tougher than most of her neighbors, she has to consider how she goes to get her 4 wheels over a damaged piece of pavement or by an space the place the sidewalk runs out fully. She has a rape auto-immune illness referred to as myasthenia gravis. She’s been wheelchair sure since 2017. “A wheelchair is an incredible reward to me as a result of now I’m can get round.”

Nevertheless, getting her wheel caught on a crack, or making an attempt to come back down the ledge of a sidewalk with out a ramp is tough. “Not solely do I, as an individual, who makes use of a wheelchair want sidewalks, at the very least on my block, however there are such a lot of different individuals who use wheelchairs, who can’t get out of their blocks. Then there are dad and mom with strollers, I imply individuals are getting out the entire time, in order that they want a approach to journey,” provides Nealy.

Nealy has been begging metropolis leaders to repair sidewalks, like her’s, to make them extra accessible for the general public and other people with disabilities. “What works and makes life potential for somebody in a wheelchair makes life higher for people who find themselves abled physique additionally. You’ll be able to proceed operating down the road, you don’t have to leap down, possibly damage your knee.”

WAFB reached out to the Mayor’s Workplace, her spokesperson says a few of their present reconstruction initiatives will embody extra accessible sidewalks, however Nealy’s Mid Metropolis neighborhood will not be on the record. They inform WAFB, they acknowledge older neighborhoods like Nealy’s have a number of sidewalks that want repaving. “However that also doesn’t negate the truth that we have to get them fastened,” says Nealy.

WAFB reached out to Baton Rouge’s American Disabilities Process Drive to speak about a number of the sidewalk points, they by no means obtained again to us. The Mayor Workplace’s has been working with ADA on their present initiatives to make walkways extra handicap pleasant.

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