The Traveling Wheelchair

950 Providence Highway
Suite 600
Dedham, Massachusetts 02026
Phone: 781-329-6000
http://www.kingsdedham.com/kings/info.php

After seeing the very wheelchair accessible Showcase Cinema de Lux Legacy Place, Kellie, Kevin and I headed back to Legacy Place last week to see if the newly opened Kings Dedham is as accessible.

Kings Dedham is a 26,000-square-foot entertainment facility featuring 20 ten-pin bowling lanes, four fun skee bowling lanes, two shuffleboard tables, three premium bars and a full-service restaurant. We had a fantastic time yet found Kings has a few obstacles.  

There are plenty of handicap parking spaces in front of the entrance as well as free parking in the Legacy Place parking garage. The two double entry doors are not automatic yet plenty wide enough to fit my chair. Once entering, we found the hallway spacious and wide; along the wall on the left side are great pictures of professional athletes taken at King’s either with fans, staff or just simply having a good time.

Before bowling we had lunch in the full service restaurant. The entrance to the restaurant is wide open so there is no need to open a door. We were warmly greeted by the hostess.

The restaurant is spacious and most of the tables are wheelchair accessible for they are table-booths in which one side has a permanent booth seat and removable chairs on the other side where your wheelchair can fit; the height of the table is perfect for my chair. The food and service was wonderful.

Inside this restaurant is a bar/lounge area that is NOT wheelchair accessible; the bar and bar style tables are all too high for a customer in a wheelchair :-(

The restaurant’s men’s and women’s restrooms are spacious, wheelchair accessible and fully ADA compliant. I did find it somewhat difficult entering the large handicap stall in the men’s restroom because after opening the door to the stall, the wall to my left was at a slant, making it a bit awkward and tight for me to enter. There is another restroom in Kings at the top of an accessible ramp before the customer service counter that is easier to use and fully ADA complaint.

After we left the restaurant we headed to the customer service counter where you pay for a bowling lane and bowling shoes which are required. There are steps in front of the service counter yet it is accessible if you go past the bowling alley and up an accessible ramp. The service counter is of a good accessible height; the employee was very kind, courteous and helpful.

Now we were ready to bowl! Once we got to our bowling lane, Kevin had to move a table in order for me to access the lane; these tables are at all the lanes so customers can use to place food or drinks on. Employees will offer help with moving the table as well. I had a lot of fun bowling! I used a ramp where I could push the ball off. I played one match against Kellie. At every turn, the flat screen TV above displays a cool video depending on your score. For example, it showed a baseball player sliding to home or a hockey player scoring a goal if we knocked a lot of pins down. We thought it was awesome. I beat Kelly by a large margin :-)

Near the bowling lanes is another bar that is NOT wheelchair accessible because the bar is too high; the lounge in this area has tall bar/style tables that are not accessible yet there are a few wheelchair accessible tables near the ramp. I wish Kings had bars like the ones at   Showcase Cinema de Lux Legacy Place because their bars have a lower section that is of a perfect wheelchair accessible height. 

After bowling we stopped in to see the skee bowling room; it offers a unique fun type of bowling with 4 lanes and arcade games. It also has a bar which is NOT accessible because it is too tall. The seating consists of sofas which give the feel of a lounge area where you can play fun games; socialize; and enjoy a meal or cocktail.

My friends, Kellie, Kevin and I had an awesome time. We enjoyed the food, bowling, great service and the surroundings were grand. All the employees were very kind, sensitive and courteous!

I give Kings Dedham THREE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Two Stars they would need to install automatic entry doors so a person in a wheelchair can enter independently; lower a section of all the bars to a wheelchair accessible height; and place some wheelchair accessible tables in the restaurant’s lounge.