The Traveling Wheelchair

146 Huttleston Ave
Fairhaven, MA 02719
Phone: 508-996-5127

After working out at Healthtrax Fitness Center , my friends and I went to Gene’s Famous Seafood Restaurant in New Bedford. My friend Josh lives in New Bedford and he told me he hasn’t been to this restaurant but it is well known as one of the best New Bedford Seafood Restaurants.

There is a large parking lot with plenty of handicap parking spaces. None are marked as handicap yet we had no problem finding a spot to park. Once out of our van we approached the entry door. The door is not automatic so Josh held the door open while Ric pushed my chair inside. I was in my manual chair for that is the one I use at the gym.

This is a fast food seafood restaurant with a customer service counter where you place and pay for your food order. A huge problem is there is NO WHEELCHAIR ACCESS to this counter for there is a step in front. My friend Josh approached the counter and asked a female employee who was taking food orders how a person in a wheelchair accesses the counter to place an order. All she said was “I don’t know”. She didn’t offer any help or advice.

Josh came back and told Ric and me the choices on the menu. We gave him our money and he placed our food and soft drink order. The next problem we faced is finding an accessible table to sit. Most of the tables are picnic tables with attached benches so they are not accessible to me at all. There are three very small tables that have removable chairs but they are very close to the bench seats leaving little room for my chair. We did manage to squeeze in and felt like ’sardines squeezed into a can’.

The outdoor seating area in this restaurant is NOT wheelchair accessible for there is a step leading to the outdoor patio. The restrooms here are NOT wheelchair accessible for the doorway is way too narrow to fit my chair.

I give Gene’s Famous Seafood in New Bedford ONE STAR and only because I could get inside. In order to earn the other Four Stars they would need to place a handicap parking space in their parking lot; install an automatic door so a person in a wheelchair can enter independently; place a threshold ramp at the step leading to the customer service counter; place the three accessible tables further apart from the bench seats; place a threshold accessible ramp at the step leading to the outdoor dining area; and place a wider door to a restroom that is wheelchair accessible and fully ADA compliant.