The Traveling Wheelchair

58 Center Street
Middleborough, MA 02346
Phone: 508-946-4006
http://www.middleboroughnews.com/2009/02/cafe-milano-open-this-week.html

My mom, Ric, Tony and I stopped at the Coffee Milano for a cup of coffee. Coffee Milano opened in Middleboro in February and recently had a Grand Opening after obtaining a Town Permit for their sign. Coffee Milano is wheelchair accessible, except it does NOT have an ADA compliant wheelchair accessible restroom, which I find very odd since they got a Town Permit.

Handicap parking spaces are located on Center Street. A cement slope instead of a step leads to both entry doors. Two single entry doors are side by side. Neither is automatic so you will need help with opening the entry door. I was in my manual chair so Tony held the door open while Ric pushed my chair inside. Once inside I found it spacious with plenty of room to maneuver my chair.

Coffee Milano offers a variety of specialty coffees, sandwiches, fresh pastries, smoothies and salads. Free Wi-Fi internet access is available inside. Within Coffee Milano is a new clothing store called ‘The New Flava’ which is fully wheelchair accessible. They carry urban style clothes.

A dining room on the left has plenty of wheelchair accessible tables all being of a good height. Only two tables in front of the window are not accessible for they are too tall. A rear dining room also has many wheelchair accessible tables all being of a good height.

The cashier counter, where you place your order is of a perfect height for my wheelchair. I had no problem paying for my ‘Hurricane’, a cup of strong coffee that was delicious!

The condiments are not accessible for they are placed too high on another countertop and out of my reach.

A single Men’s and Women’s restroom is located in the rear of the restaurant. Neither restroom is very wheelchair accessible or ADA compliant; the hallway is very narrow & hard to turn into the restroom; the doors are narrow; neither have the ADA required safety grabs bars located on the wall by the toilet; both have an accessible sink; the pipes under the accessible sink are not covered as is ADA required.

My mom, friends and I called the Middleborough Building Inspector to ask why Coffee Milano, new restaurant was allowed to open since it does not have an ADA compliant restroom. He wasn’t in so we left a message with his secretary. Today we called back and were told that this was a pre-existing building so the new restaurant doesn’t need an ADA compliant restroom.

We don’t understand why Coffee Milano is not required to have an ADA compliant restroom for other Towns require newly opened restaurants in pre-existing buildings to have an ADA compliant restroom. One that comes to mind is the Runes Café in Taunton. Scott Ricker, our volunteer Access Specialist filed a complaint with Taunton Building Inspector and the restaurant was ordered to make their restroom ADA compliant.

I give Coffee Milano TWO STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Three Stars they would need to install an automatic entry door so a wheeler can enter independently; lower the condiments on the countertop and remodel the restrooms so that they are wheelchair accessible and fully ADA compliant.