Philip’s story

Our staffer Philip shares his recent experience navigating Seattle in a wheelchair for the first time.

On the first sunny Tuesday of June, I returned home from another busy day at the Disability Empowerment Center and promptly parked my scooter…right on top of my ankle bone!

A standard six-week advisory from the good folks at UW Sports Medicine led me to a great all-purpose wheelchair to “keep the weight off it” and support meeting my personal and professional commitments.

I was ready to get back out there!

My first full day using a wheelchair as my primary transportation on the streets of Seattle was an eye opener. As a caregiver, I'm used to steering from the back end.

As much as I have been scrutinizing sidewalks in Seattle, and the lack of them in much of the city to this day, I was underwhelmed with the options for self-propelled rolling even short distances.

The dips, the inclines, the treacherous bus ramps. The hills...well, it's Seattle.

My biggest challenge seemed to be: rain-resistant street designs that make flat rolling surfaces rare. And the curb cuts themselves are a series of short, uphill battles of sidewalk vs. upper body strength. Add the yellow, very slick reflective surfaces slick tires are no match for and I started to realize why I seemed to be the only person pushing themselves on Broadway or Beacon Ave. S.

I remain in love with our light rail system, and access seemed good once I was actually inside the station. I continued over the weekend to plot new possible routes to get to the stations. Not flipping over is important (!), and wheeling from block to block appears to be more hazardous than riding my Vespa.

I am working on these obstacles as I am welcomed to the world of the physically inaccessible. One thing I'm grateful for: This lived experience is going to add value to the work I do at Disability Empowerment Center and has already increased my empathy and understanding for true accessibility. 

~Philip Bradford, Independent Living Specialist