★☆☆☆☆
701 Fall River Ave.
Seekonk, MA 02771
Phone: 508-336-4519
http://www.newportcreamery.com

Owned and operated by Jan Companies
Phone: 401-946-4000
http://www.jancompanies.com/

npcseekonk007.jpgYesterday, my friends and I traveled to Newport Creamery in Seekonk to see how wheelchair accessible it is as compared to Newport Creamery in Providence – Zero Stars – No Access.

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This Newport Creamery has two handicap parking spaces up front and close to the sloped cement access leading to the entry doors.  I was pleased to see that I could at least enter this Newport Creamery. You will need help with opening the double entry doors for neither is automatic. On our way in, I saw that the outside service window is too high for persons in a wheelchair.

npcseekonk022.jpgOnce inside, we did not find anywhere to sit. To the left there is a counter with bolted seats and inaccessible booths. There was a booth available but if I sat at the end, I would block access for all patrons and servers. In order for a booth to be considered “accessible” it should have one half of a side removed; chairs can be placed on this side and easily removed to fit a wheelchair. Also, the cashier counter is too high for me. At this point I was disappointed and chose to take my business somewhere else.

The restroom is accessible and meets the ADA requirements. There’s really no point of having a wheelchair accessible restroom for persons in a wheelchair can’t sit in the dining room.

npcseekonkpost018.jpgI give Newport Creamery in Seekonk ONE STAR for wheelchair accessibility and it is only because I was able to enter. In order to earn the other Four Stars they would need to install automatic entry doors; lower the outdoor service window; lower the cashier counter; remove some bolted seats to make room for a wheelchair at the counter and add an accessible booth or table.

Newport Creamery is owned and operated by Jan Companies, a large company who owns and operates over 82 Burger Kings, Newport Cramery, Krispy Kreme, Country Inn, and several  Country Clubs. Obviously accessibility is not one of Jan Companies’ priorities or they would have made some changes to make the Newport Creamery chain accessible to all costumers.