Recently I noticed a
neighbor of mine whom I had never seen using a cane before was using
one. When I asked her why she said sometimes she gets tired and needs a
rest and there is no place to sit so she leans on the cane
Here we have an access-a- ride bus stop for the disabled and handicapped with
no provision made for seating for a disabled or a handicapped person
Beyond
simply a place to sit down for everyone our lack of seating is
actually creating a dangerous situation. Our senior citizens must wait
on our street corners to be picked up by access a ride. I had a
personal experience of my mother having just had open heart surgery
waiting for an access a ride pick up standing on a street corner for
over an hour.
Unite
Here has a medical facility on 7th Ave between 25th and 26th streets.
After examinations I found people waiting for a pickup of access a
ride. They too were waiting up to an hour or more and had no place to
sit while waiting.
Recommendations
Seating at All Access-a-Ride Pickup Locations
Seating in front of all Doctors Offices and Medical centers
My friend John needed a walker to sit
on after a knee operation. Today several years later he no longer
needs the walker but he still uses it. He does this because he learned
that if he positions himself on 8th Ave friends would stop by and talk
with him. He needed to created his own street seating to do so
because there is none near where John lives.
“You can walk further distances the more places that you have to sit
along the way,” Block said. “That’s why we think benches are wonderful
in communitie's, ” - Dorian Block, New York Academy of Medicine
link
PlaNYC 2030 talks about having a park within 10 minutes walking distance of every citizen in New York City.
For some seniors and disabled a 10 minute walk to a Centralized park. is 10 minutes too much..Park Chelsea is meant to place park facilities for people within a minute or two walk of everyone in Chelsea.
My
friend Adelle was in her 90s and had trouble getting around. She was a
gardener in the Penn South intergenerational garden that just happen
to be located around the corner from where she lived. Given her luck
in it being around the corner she was able to travel to it on a regular
basis. If it was even five blocks away I don't think this would have
been possible. The beauty of the Park Chelsea concept is that Park
Chelsea will offer gardening opportunities for our senior citizens not
10 blocks away, not five blocks away but on the block where they live.
I
know of an older woman who has a tremendous amount of trouble walking ,
She lives on the fifth floor of a walk-up so she can not use a walker.
To be able to go outdoors and get around she would use a nearby
building ledge and a nearby bench in her neighborhood to sit on. The
bench was taken away, the building ledge is currently covered by
scaffolding. She is. now effectively stuck in her house far more than
she would like to be. For the able-bodied people in our community nearby
outdoor seating locations may be considered optional, for others such
as this woman they are a necessity.
I
noticed the woman in the picture below having a tough time walking. I
asked her if seating on every block would be helpful. Her answer was a
very strong affirmative.
 |
| The senior citizen in this photo has a seat, but what about her helper? |
I
talked to a good number of seniors in Chelsea and asked if seating on
every block would be something they desired. Except for one woman who
said no everyone else answered yes. Some had the opinion though that
it would never occur.
Naturally Occurring Senior Centers
My mom (3rd from left) lives in Flushing. Recently the bus service that
stopped around the corner from her was discontinued due to MTA budget
problems.Due to this she can no longer easily get to her local senior
center. For my mom and these other residents of her building the bench
area around the corner of her apartment has become a "Naturally
Occurring Senior Center"(NOSC). Park Chelsea plans to create NOSC's
through Chelsea.
In talking to users of this NOSC I learned what they would really like
is a table and movable seating so that the NOSC can go beyond being just
an an area for schmoozing and also be used for playing card games.
Below are two photos from another Naturally Occurring Senior Center this
one on 97th St in the Lotus community garden. Here are two senior
citizens who are playing a game of Scrabble.
Given a simple addition, a table and chairs this NOSC has transformed
from an area where the seating arrangement would only allow talking and
reading to where the seating arrangement will allow for games and other
group activities.
Rather then just seats, Park Chelsea recommends
the creation of NOSC's, so that beyond a place to sit, seniors have
places to interact.
Priority Seating
All
seating will have signs on them saying priority is to be given to
senior citizens/disabled/moms. Benches can also be purchased that have a
arm rest in the middle for those blocks that are worried about people
taking up residence on their bench. (Alternatively benches can be set
to fold up at night.)
http://www.davidairey.com/london-underground-priority-seat-signs/
Oasis Signposts/Kisoks
Think of seating and restrooms as located at Oasis's, We need to let our neighbors know how to find these. On every block
in Park Chelsea we need signage that will let people know where the
nearest seating is, where the nearest publicly available restroom is.
For More on Park Chelsea click on MORE Park Chelsea in upper left of screen
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