When critiquing the business for its accessibility to those with disabilities, it is first important to have a basis from which to examine. According to the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, all citizens are guaranteed the rights of life, liberty or property without due process (Hulett, 2009). This very simple, yet powerful amendment set the stage for subsequent changes in regulatory law which gave us the Civil Rights Act of 1964, later the Americans with Disabilities Act and still later the IDEA (Hulett, 2009).
When looking at the Chapterhouse Coffee shop, its structure and its accessibility to those with disabilities, it is important to consider Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act which states that we are “to prohibit discrimination against a qualified person with a disability from the full enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges and advantages of any privately owned public accommodations” (Hopkins, lecture, July 17, 2010). “Full enjoyment” of the goods and services are limited to someone with a severe physical disability or certainly someone who is in a wheelchair, from the onset of coming across Chapterhouse. As you see from the floor plan, the only access to enter the shop is from the sidewalk and up a set of stairs, albeit wide ones. I asked the baristas whether there was another entrance that was wheelchair accessible and was saddened to find out there was not. While not extraordinarily heavy, at the top of the stairs are French doors in to the shop. And while it does open inward and has a downward lever handle, only one side of the doors is unlocked for entry, making it a very tight pass through. To add another challenge to the entry, there is a raised lip on the floor that one could easily trip over. Sadly, the entrance alone to my favorite coffee shop is challenging at best to someone in a wheelchair, who may have a physical disability but is able to walk or who may be blind.
For someone who has limited mobility, the proximity of the tables to one another and to the wall also make navigating the coffee shop cumbersome, no matter how great the music is that’s playing! I, as an able bodied individual, have often thought how challenging the spacing is between tables to snag a seat and spread out a laptop and papers and then get up and down again to use the restroom or place another order. The height of the countertops for placing orders would be challenging for someone in a wheelchair, especially since part, not all, of the menu is on papers on top of the counter. The coffee creamer and sugar, etc is also placed on a counter top, around a corner and over another raised floor lip, at a height inaccessible by ADA standards. The restroom, towards the back of the shop and again over a pesky floor lip (that I only recently noticed!), would not be accessible to someone in a wheelchair and would be challenging for someone else who can walk, but who may need assistance with gripping for example. The outward entry for the door also makes entering with any sort of assistive device more cumbersome.
Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, “state and local government agencies are responsible for adhering to the architectural standards for new and existing facilities covered in Title III” (Hulett, 2009). While I am unsure of the exact date on which the building was built, I do know it was built well before 1990. This means the establishment, though public and clearly not accessible to someone with a physical disability, does not have to make structural changes until someone from the community, with a disability makes a request to the store owners or files a complaint. Titles III of the ADA states that an individual should file a complaint with the Department of Justice or simply file a private suit (Hulett, 2009).
Chapterhouse also has additional tables down a flight of stairs, with no other access, wherein patrons can sit and work or drink coffee. This area is not ADA accessible and I originally thought it may be “ok” if they became in compliance upstairs only, providing access to entering, ordering and sitting. However, as they now have a new “service” downstairs, where local artists and/or musicians play or do spoken word. To be fully ADA compliant then, Chapterhouse would either have to make the basement ADA accessible or move the additional service (music, poetry, etc) available to all on the first floor only
(Hopkins, lecture, July 17, 2010).
While Chapterhouse is sadly not accessible to those with physical disabilities (currently), those with cognitive disabilities would find it fairly accessible. There is not an extensive menu, some of which is written on a chalk board on a wall. The wording used is not particularly “fancy” or “foreign” either. There are some “frou frou drinks” as I like to call them, however, which are written on two laminated sheets, placed on the counter. Items include fancy smoothies or cold drinks that come with combination flavors. I am less inclined to feel that the verbiage is at a particularly high reading level, however, there is a lot of copy to read, which could make the experience a bit daunting for a low functioning reader. With more accessible menus, someone who may need more time deciding (or reading!) would not feel so pressured just standing at the counter trying to make a decision. The sweet treats, however, are in clear containers, on the counter and speak for themselves. Additionally, the general ambiance of Chapterhouse does not seem intrusive for someone who may have sensitivity and sensory issues. While there is no place with Braille, the air temperature, volume of the music and general noise level of patrons is not negatively stimulating.
It has become clear, sadly, that one of my favorite coffee shops is not ADA accessible. When I not-so-slyly asked whether there was an additional entrance for someone in a wheelchair, the response was just an matter of fact “no.” I suppose, naively, for such nice people working there, I kind of expected my question to lead in to a conversation --- or at least an empty apology. It is a small establishment, less than fifteen people, but all of whom run back and forth to the supply closet and even climb a ladder to get more coffee supplies --- clearly none of whom have a physical disability. Title 1 of the ADA states that businesses cannot discriminate against employees with disabilities if they employee 15 or more individuals (Hulett, 2009). At this point, Chapterhouse can legally “discriminate” against those with disabilities, given the small employee number. I wonder how long it will be before I see some construction happening, however, because someone in the ‘hood who uses a wheelchair, was interested in a Ginger Ginger Iced Tea with Soda Water and a Coconut- Turtle Brownie!
