The Traveling Wheelchair

243 Charles Street
Boston, MA  02114
Phone: 617-523-7900
http://www.masseyeandear.org/

A few weeks ago, my mom, Tony, Ric and I volunteered to rally at the Massachusetts State House for disability services. We stopped at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary before heading to the State House because my mom had an appointment with her ear surgeon the same morning. I hadn’t been to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary since I had retina surgery many years ago and I was really impressed to find it All Inclusive and Barrier Free for all patients and visitors with visual, hearing and physical disabilities. Plus MEEI has some of the best Medical Specialists in the World!

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is located across the street from The Liberty Hotel in Boston which was once the Charles Street Jail. Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary offers valet parking at the front entrance for a flat daily rate of $12.00. The valet parking attendants are very kind, courteous and helpful. They helped my friends get my wheelchair safely out of our van onto the sidewalk and escorted us to the front entry door. Loaner wheelchairs are available at the valet booth.

The double sets of entry doors are wide and automatic; as soon as you approach they slide wide open. Once inside I found the lobby spacious with plenty of room to maneuver my chair. The registration desks, located to the right of the lobby are all of a good wheelchair accessible height. The customer information counter located in the center of the lobby is too high in the front but there is an accessible counter located on the side. The employees working here are very kind, courteous, and helpful.

A sign posted on every floor reads: The following services are available for our patients and visitors at no additional charge; Volume Controlled Telephones, Assistive Listening Systems, TTY Text Telephone and Sign Language. All signs have large print, pictures and Braille for the blind and visually impaired to read. I was really impressed to see a parking validation machine located in the lobby which has large print, Braille and audio ear phones. An ATM located in the lobby also has large print, Braille and audio ear phones.

We took the elevator to the second floor and waited in office waiting room of my mom’s ear surgeon Dr. Saumil Merchant, MD Otolaryngologist. Joan, his receptionist is very kind and warmly greets all his patients. The office is spacious and fully wheelchair accessible with plenty of room to maneuver my chair. After my mom’s appointment she introduced me to Dr. Merchant. My mom has always told me Dr. Merchant is one of the Best Ear Surgeons in the world plus he is a very compassionate, kind and caring doctor. Dr. Merchant warmly greeted me; he told me he loves my website. I thanked him for the wonderful medical care he provides my mom.

After we left the office, Ric, Tony, my mom and I went to some other floors and looked around before we had lunch in the cafeteria. We were pleased to find Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary fully accessible to all persons of all disabilities.

All the elevators are spacious with plenty of room to turn your wheelchair. The elevator call buttons are in large print with Braille and easily within my reach. An audio voice tells you what floor you are on and if the elevator is going up or down! The hallways on all floors are spacious, wide, wheelchair accessible and have hand rails on both sides. There are no steps, only sloped floors where there is an incline or decline. One of the floors we stopped on has push buttons located on the side railings; you can push the button and hear an audio recording telling you where to turn along the corridor. There are hand sanitizers just about everywhere!

The pharmacy counter is of a wheelchair accessible height; all water bubblers have a lowered one next to it which is of wheelchair accessible height; public payphones are also of an accessible height.

The cafeteria is one of the most wheelchair accessible cafeterias I’ve ever eaten in. The trays at the self serve line are placed at an accessible height; the food choices are all easy to see and easy to reach. The salad bar, cashier counter, condiments and utensil dispenser with folks/knives/spoons are all of a perfect wheelchair accessible height and easy to reach while seated in your chair.

The restrooms are spacious, wheelchair accessible and fully ADA Compliant; the faucet, soap and hand towel dispensers are all easily within my reach.

Before we left we asked the woman behind the information counter if the inpatient rooms are wheelchair accessible. She called to one of the floors and spoke with a nurse who told her all the inpatient rooms are spacious and wheelchair accessible. My mom was a patient here after two ear surgeries and she told me the rooms can comfortably fit a patient in a wheelchair.

I give Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary FIVE STARS for accessibility. Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is All Inclusive and Barrier Free for all patients and visitors with visual, hearing and physical disabilities. I also give Dr. Saumil Merchant, MD Otolaryngologist FIVE STARS for the wonderful medical care he provides to his patients and for his dedication, kindness and compassion.