The Traveling Wheelchair

208 West Main Road,
Middletown, RI 02842
Phone: 401-846-2767
http://www.newportcreamery.com/

Yesterday, my Aunt Nancy, Kate, Josh and I traveled to Newport, RI to catch a glimpse of the ocean. We had a short heat wave for it reached 40 degrees; we wanted to catch a cool ocean breeze :>)

My Aunt said she would treat me and my friends to lunch so we stopped for a bite to eat at the Newport Creamery in Middletown, RI, located on West Main Road, a short distance from downtown Newport. We were especially interested to see how wheelchair accessible it is as compared to Newport Creamery in Providence – Zero Stars – No Access.

This Newport Creamery in Middletown, RI was the first of the Newport Creamery chain to open in 1940. There are two handicap parking spaces close to the entrance. A handicap accessible sign is posted on the building in front of the parking spaces.

Wheelchair access to sidewalk is located on either side of building: one of the accesses to the sidewalk was blocked by a trash barrel; my friends and I had to go around to the other side of the sidewalk to gain access.

There is a sloped cement walkway leading to the front entry door.

On our way in, I saw that the outside service window is too high for persons in a wheelchair. Persons in wheelchairs will have a hard time ordering one of their famous ‘Awful Awful’ drinks!

You will need help with opening two entry doors for neither is automatic; both doors are very narrow; it was a tight squeeze getting my wheelchair through these doors but my friends helped me.

Once inside, I noticed that the service counter where you place and pay for your take out or ice cream order is too high for a person in a wheelchair. The seating in this Newport Creamery is not wheelchair accessible; it is just like all the other Newport Creamery’s that I’ve been too. There is a circular countertop with chairs/stools permanently mounted to the floor; you can’t move a seat out to fit a wheelchair at the counter; the booths do not allow for any wheelchair to fit under the table because the bar that holds up the table block my leg rests. If you choose to sit at a booth, your wheelchair will stick out into the aisle and block access to others.

My friends and I were hungry; we sat at an inaccessible booth that was located in the end aisle, directly in front of the restrooms. My wheelchair stuck out into the aisle; it didn’t block access to anyone because we were in the end aisle. I found it difficult to eat my lunch because I couldn’t fit my chair under the table :<)

My friend, Josh checked out the Men’s restrooms: he reports that it is accessible; the stall is large enough for my wheelchair to fit and the pipes underneath the accessible sink are covered, as is now ADA required; there is only one safety grab bar located on the side wall of the toilet; there is no safety grab bar located on the wall behind the toilet.

My Aunt Nancy checked out the Women’s restroom; she reports that the handicap stall would be too small for my wheelchair to fit next to the toilet to transfer; the pipes under the accessible sink are not covered, as is now ADA required; and there is only one safety grab bar located on the wall next to the toilet, but not on the wall behind the toilet, which we think is ADA required.

My Aunt, friends and me all thought that the staff was rude.

I give Newport Creamery in Middletown, RI ONE STAR for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Four Stars they would need to: relocate the trash barrel that blocks the wheelchair access to the sidewalk; install automatic entry doors; lower the outdoor service window to an accessible height; lower the inside service counter to an accessible height; remove some bolted seats to make room for a wheelchair at the counter; add an accessible booth or table; place protective covering around the pipes underneath the accessible women’s restroom; and enlarge the handicap stall in the restroom.