ACCESSIBILITY SCORECARD

Speaking of accessibility...

THUMBS UP-

^ Colonial Theater, Phoenixville- Goes to show that even an older building can be made accessible if you really want to. Staff are very accommodating.

^Visitors Center, Gettysburg- Staff really went out of their way to make sure accessibility and comfort were at a premium when I visited.

^ Citizens Bank Park, Lincoln Financial Field and Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia- These sports venues are fairly new so one would expect them to be accessible. Citizen"s Bank Park is the best, with plenty of wheelchair seating. Very easy to get around the stadium. The Linc is second. Not enough elevators to get upstairs. Existing elevators are small. Wells Fargo Center is third, only because some accessible seating in the upper deck is cramped and in corners. Still, far better then the old Spectrum, where people would stand up and block the view and handicapped patrons were often seated in the back.

Note: I have too many people who are not disabled in the accessible section at Lincoln Financial Field. The ushers and security need to do a better job weeding out the able-bodied fans who sneak into there sections. It"s like taking a handicapped parking space. First, it"s not allowed and second,that is one less handicapped seat for someone who really needs that spot.

The Flyers have a policy at the Wells Fargo Center whereas fans with tickets in the handicapped sections must exchange their seats at Customer Service before the event, then be assigned locations. Because too many people have sadly found a way around the system and have gotten handicapped locations- generally excellent seats- when they really are NOT handicapped, I think that venues will begin to increasingly use this procedure in the future. Show up, show us you are really disabled, then we can place you in a handicapped section.

THUMBS DOWN-

^Tower Theater, Upper Darby- I saw Ringo Starr there last year-at least I intended to see Ringo there. The so-called accessible seats were far from it- located in a corner and you couldn"t see a thing when the crowd stood up, which they did practically all evening. When I asked to be relocated so I could see, I was escorted to the back-no better. I finally had to resort to seating near the aisle at the entrance of the theater, constantly moving to avoid people. Not only was I told the Tower could do better, and generally the staff were sympathetic, I was shuffled toi several management personnel until I finally found someone who understood.By then, the concert was over.I heard Ringo but never saw him in the 2 hours I was there.

Kimberton Inn, Kimberton- I often heard the food is excellent at the Kimberton Inn, so I decided to try it last year. No ramp to enter..a temporary ramp was brought out, and surprisingly, even the inside was not accessible. Ok, it"s another old building, but unlike The Colonial Theater, the restaurant did not try to become more accessible, instead resting on the old, tired line "We are complient to ADA laws."

^Mt Pocono Casino Resort, Poconos.- Beds were too high when I visited the hotel last spring. At first I was told the beds were "in compliance" to ADA laws, but then they did think out of the box and eventually made the beds lower for my needs.

Note: Yes, many places are right..they are in compliance with ADA laws regarding accessibility, however being in complaint and being accessible to everyone is NOT the same.