Wheelchair bound woman claims shelter couldn't accommodate her during storm

WFSB ^

[matt04]

A West Hartford woman confined to a wheelchair plans to file a complaint with the Department of Justice and the town, claiming the town's emergency shelter could not accommodate her wheelchair during the storm.

Sharon Denson says she couldn't get her wheelchair up to the shelter and the elevator didn't have power.

Denson, who has been in a wheelchair for about 8 years due to muscular dystrophy, met with a member of the fire department who said some firefighters could carry her up.

But she says that was not a reasonable solution given what could have gone wrong.

"I was so upset, it took everything in me not to start crying while we were having that meeting in the stairwell," she said.

She says town officials also offered to get her to a nursing home which had power, but she found that insulting.

West Hartford soon moved its shelter to Conard High School which was accessible but by then, after two nights sleeping in her basement, Denson had found a hotel to stay in.

[matt04]

Sounds like the preferred shelters were not accessible due to the storm and the town had to use the only available building until better locations were safely accessible. What next, not opening shelters or providing assistance because someone will sue due to the fact they can't meet every demand due to the storm.

[cripplecreek]

But she says that was not a reasonable solution given what could have gone wrong.

Sounds like she made a choice.

[GeronL]

I agree with you.

[sagar]

You do not have right to a shelter. Instead of complaining, the good lady should raise money, privately, to build a better access. I am sure good people will donate and the government need not be involved.

[MarineBrat]

I have no sympathy for whiners. Life is what it is. Put a smile on your face and make the world a better place.

[digger48]

I don't suppose it has anything to do with the fact that she's a bit of an MDA activist studying to become a lawyer...

http://mywesthartfordlife.com/people.php?cid=4&id=21

Sharon Denson steps down from disabilities commission

http://www.mda.org/publications/quest/extra/qe12_6_trach_chic.html

Hip to Be Trach Chic

[BykrBayb]

She says town officials also offered to get her to a nursing home which had power, but she found that insulting.

I find her attitude toward those in nursing homes insulting.

[Secret Agent Man]

They tried to offer several suggestions she turned down.

Bottom line is they could have accomodated her, she didn’t want to do any of the alternatives.

Life events are not guaranteed to be handicap accessible.

She obviously is not someone who is able to roll with adversity and filing the lawsuit against people woh were offering several do-able alternatives, proves it.

[Secret Agent Man]

One could have asked her why she did not put money into her own house to make the place safer for her during a storm, given her inflexibility of how she demands things be done for her.

[Chode]

money grubber... feh

[svcw]

Two or more alternatives were given and she refused - to bad so sad then.

[RetiredTexasVet]

She shouldn’t sue, she should apply for a position in the Food Stamp President’s administration. He values whining, lazy, argumentative, arrogant and stupid people.

[sarasmom]

Is this a joke?

[jimfree]

I have been charged in given contexts with implementing it but I am vehemently against the ADA. It has no upper limit. That makes it an infinite liability against somebody else’s checking account.

I am disabled, but not in a way that has been commonly recognized. I ask accommodation in a very limited way and usually just hide or walk away. I am asthmatic (finally controlled very well after 50+ years of symptoms).

In 1998 at the March for Justice Jim Robinson did not sue the Architecture Museum. Instead he wheeled himself toward the stairs and then suddenly four of us grabbed a corner of the wheelchair and walked him up.

It is very poor allocation of resources to provide every capability at every point of demand. ADA and Section 508 prescribe this perfect state of affairs.

This woman has no business acumen, just a nack for complaining and for demanding accommodation.

[SaraJohnson]

If firefighters wanted to carry her, what is the big deal - in an emergency situation? Things are not all neat and tidy during an emergency. It seems like she’s being so self centered that she’s entered into abusive mean territory.

[matt04]

Funny how the TV report failed to mention this pesky fact.

The comments in the article indicate she was “active” in the community. Drug dealers are active in their community, doesn’t make it beneficial to said community.