Would you allow a Dr's office not being handicapped friendly?
 

I've been having some very serious back pain the last few weeks. My PM sent me to a neurologist. With my back pain I've been ordered to use a walker by my PM.

I'm looking at back surgery with rods an screws ect to hold my back together.

After waiting almost a month to get into see this Neurologist I get there an find out there is 3 big heavy glass doors that gets me to see my Neurologist and no automatic door or handicapped button. There was barely room between 2 doors for me to get out of DH's way so he could open the door for me.

Had it been a dentist office I prolly would not have thought to much about the doors but since at this time in my life I'm semi disabled those doors rubbed me the wrong way. I thinkin to go to a neurologist that most patients would be at least semi disabled if not totally. I'm really questioning if this is the doctor for me.....How about you?

So if it were your dentist the doors wouldn't be a problem?

I could be wrong but it just sounds like a "principle of the thing", kind of deal.

If you really like this doc and the doors are just a minor inconvenience, I'd probably just live with it.

If the doors make it so you can't navigate in to see the doc then I bet some of his other patients have been in this situation. Maybe you could ask him about it and see what other folks do.

I am sorry for your health issues.

I do find it odd.

My son broke his arm and we were sent to an orthopedic. His office was down a full flight of stairs in the basement of a physical therapy office. It was painfulto watch these poor people with mobility issues struggle to get up and down the stairs. Some were elderly, others in accidents, etc. I often wondered why on earth they would use this guy!

I say look for another doctor!

Plenty of people who aren't handicapped see a neurologist, including myself and my dh. I'm certain most handicapped people go to the dentist.

How did you feel about the actual neurologist/office staff, aside from the doors? Since your husband accompanies you, the doors weren't actually a problem for you, right? You are just thinking about other patients?

Is it possible there is another entrance (a back entrance, parking lot entrance, etc.) that doesn't have the doors?

The bolded is what I want to know. Should be simple to ask the front desk staff if there's a more accessible entry.

Probably.

When it comes to picking a doctor I try to find the one with the best skill for my needs. Would it be easier if it was handicap accessible? Sure, but that's minor compared to having a quality doctor. Try to look at the big picture as far as your needs.

I would try to switch doctors right away. Imho, all doctor's offices should be totally accessible.

Nowhere is ever accessible. If they have a door button its installed in an impractical manner that makes it completely useless. If it is installed in a decent place there is a large decorative tree, or bench obstructing its use. If it is unobstructed then the door doesn't work, and they will never ever fix it.

I once arrived at a restaurant for a meeting. The other party had verified that the restaurant was wheelchair accessible. Their door was functioning, they had an appropriate washroom, and parking... the tables and the bar? They were all up a short flight of five stairs :confused3 the restaurant STILL didn't understand why that was worth mentioning, to someone querying the accessibility of the location.

If there is parking and a ramp, wait and see where they plow the snow in the winter! or how long they take to repair it!

If the dors are a deal breaker for you, then by all means switch. But wuth the next Dr its going to be something else, because there is always something else.

Mention the issue to the doctor.

It's entirely possible that either there's another entrance or that it's simply never hit their radar.

This reminds me of a restaurant I went to once. There were 7 or 8 steps to get into the restaurant, no alternative entrance that I could see. I asked where the bathroom was - I had to go through a small door, about half as wide as a normal door, a very steep set of 15-20 steps, sharp right turn and up two steps into the bathroom, which had two stalls, one of which was a handicap stall!!! It was absolutely ridiculous - I had to laugh at the irony.

Yeah I'm really tryin to see the big picture with this Dr I did look for another entrance I honestly do not think there was another entrance.....very small parking lot least the main entrance was close.

After the entrance issue I waited 2 1/2 hours to only see the Dr's assistant. At least I was allowed to wait in 1 of the exam rooms sn lay on the exam table not the most comfy but much more comfy than the waiting room chairs. I asked nurse for a pillow an was told they did not have pillows there. I told her to send DH back out to the car an get me pillow.

I have another appointment with this same DR this week at another office 40 miles from home it was the fastest appointment that they could get me in.

DH an I just so happened to look at my appointment card there is not even an address on it for any of the Dr's 3 offices. I was to recieve a new patient packet in the mail with address an papers to fill out I not recived that yet my appontment is Tuesday I'm think if I don't get that packet in the mail tomorrow the dr is going to strike out.

I agree. I have a hard time believing a Doctor's office 23 years after ADA went into effect isn't ADA complient.
I'll tell you, as someone without disabilities, I've seen some ADA upgrades that made access tougher. Company I used to work for switched out all the door knobs for ADA complient handles (Like below). They hurt my wrists because most of them require so much more movement to get them open than the old knobs did.
http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/598121...oor_handle.jpg

After that, the door issue would have been put on the bottom of the list of what bothered me.