KEY WEST BY WHEELCHAIR

KEY WEST BY WHEELCHAIR

By Steve Wright

We are excited about our inaugural trip to Key West -- photographing architecture, dining on fresh-caught fish, experiencing the fabled sunset celebration.

But we also feel a nervous anxiety. Heidi, who has severe rheumatoid arthritis, has used a wheelchair for 35 years. That third-of-a-century of using alternate mobility has taught her never to be surprised.

Hotels that promise to be wheelchair-accessible often are not. Attractions billed as barrier-free frequently present dozens of hurdles. Historic restaurants, houses and other attractions often accommodate disabled people in convoluted ways.

Traveling by wheelchair always adds a unique balancing act to the other adventures of the road. Sometimes we enter the dining room through the kitchen.

Many times Heidi has sat on the ground floor of a museum looking at a picture book while Steve explored an upper level reachable only by stairs. Often our allergies have been aggravated because the only handicapped room is a smoking room.