The Traveling Wheelchair

- July 16, 2008

- July 1, 2009

75 Court Street (Rte. 3A)
Plymouth, Massachusetts 02360. 
Phone: 508-746-1620
http://pilgrimhall.org/plgrmhll.htm 

http://www.pilgrimhall.org/PilgrimHal%20Future.htm
 
Kathleen Kenney, my mobility and low vision specialist from MCB/DMR recently told me that the Pilgrim Hall Museum  is now wheelchair accessible. Ric, Kate and I decided to head there to check it out and write a wheelchair accessibility review. My mom and Kathleen met us there.

The Pilgrim Hall Museum was built in 1824 and is one of the oldest museums in America. Recently it underwent major renovations and added a new addition which opened on May 31, 2008. This made the museum wheelchair accessible for up until this time it was not wheelchair accessible at all.

When you are in the front of the building you can see both the new and old side of the Pilgrim Hall Museum. The old building just had steps leading to the main entry door but now the entry door is in the new addition which has both front steps with a railing in the middle and a two tier paved slope winding around up a hill to the main entry door.

A s I wheeled along this pave slope in my electric wheelchair I found it very difficult to stay on the paved sloped area because it is black and the mulch in the garden along the slope is also black. Kathleen, my mom and my friends helped guide me for they were afraid I might end up on the mulch and then go down the hill. I have a visual impairment and contrast in colors helps me see my way better but there was no contrast here. I would recommend persons in a wheelchair bring a friend who can help  guide you up this paved slope.  

My friends and I also found it odd that this paved slope didn’t have any railings for it is a zig zag slope and there is a part at the turn of the slope that has a very steep drop and if I accidentally turned too wide I could easily fall right off the side since there is a huge drop off at this turn.  Railings would help to keep wheelchairs safely on this sloped path. Railings would also be very helpful to the elderly or disabled who can walk but need something to hold onto.

The paved slope brings you up to the top of the landing of the front steps which leads you to the front entry doors. There are two sets of doorways you will need help with opening for neither are automatic. The second set of doors was already opened when we entered for Ann, a very nice employee who was sitting at the front desk saw me coming.

When we got inside I found it very spacious and there was plenty of room to maneuver my wheelchair around. There is a reception desk right in front. Ann, the Museum Shop manager was sitting at this desk and we introduced ourselves to her and explained that we came to see the museum and write a wheelchair accessibility review. Ann was very kind and told us that she is so happy that the museum is now accessible to all.

Ann pointed out that the reception desk has a wheelchair accessible counter to the left of it which is perfect height for a wheelchair. She told us that some experts in mobility helped design the new part of the museum to ensure it was universally accessible. The museum also has Braille on many of the signs for visually impaired persons and has video caption on the films it shows for the deaf.

Kathleen asked if there were plans to install automatic doors or a railing along the paved slope. Ann told us that there would be lights installed along the paved slopes but there were no plans in place at this time to add a railing or automatic doors but she did make a note to mention our suggestions to her boss.

The cost to enter the Pilgrim Hall Museum is $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, $4 for children, $20 for families and Free for Residents of Plymouth. We asked Ann if there was a discount for the disabled but she told us there is no discount. Ann did mention that before the museum became accessible it was free to everyone.

After we paid for our tickets we went to the right of the reception desk where there is a museum shop and a large room called Main Hall which is dedicated to ‘Celebrate the Pilgrim Story’. There are many beautiful old exhibits which are nicely spaced out and I found it very easy to maneuver my wheelchair around in this large room. Many of the valuable exhibits are in glass casings and very easy to see. I really enjoyed seeing the replica of Plymouth Rock Canopy where the Plymouth Rock was once displayed. The sign on the display stated ‘Plymouth Rock Canopy 1940 -1950’.

There are many beautiful paintings of our American History hanging on the walls in the Main Hall and are very easy to see for some are very large. My favorite had a sign on it that stated: ‘Departure of the Pilgrims from Delft Haven Holland’ and it was painted by Charles Lucy.  On either side of this large painting were two important chairs in glass casings.  I think one was the chair of Governor Bradford. There were many other large paintings like one of the Pilgrims landing and meeting the American Indians.

My favorite thing that I was able to touch was the big piece of the Plymouth Rock. It felt great to touch such an important piece of our American history for the Mayflower carrying the Pilgrims landed at this rock.

Another display that was one of my favorites was a very old wooden carving of Squanto, a Native American Indian. It was real cool to see. There was also a beautiful display of a card table that had a beautiful needlepoint top. The sign said that card games were very popular even in the 18th century and the most popular card game was called, ‘Loo’.

There were also figures of Pilgrims dressed up in the clothing that the Pilgrims wore and we all enjoyed seeing the outfits up close. There is also a library full of historical books in a room off to the side. The library was added to the Pilgrim Hall Museum in 1904 and is only open by appointment.

There is also room where different videos are shown. This room is very wheelchair accessible. There are benches but they can pull out for persons in wheelchairs to sit in any area they want.

After we left the Main Hall I easily wheeled my wheelchair into another large room on the other side of the building. This room had many neat displays about the culture and style of the 18th century. It had beautiful displays of preserved furniture like chests, tables, chairs and even had an old high chair for a baby. Much of the Pilgrims style of clothing and furniture came from British style. The other day when I toured the Doric Hall at the State House, I was told that the colonists first learned about upholstery on  furniture from the British for before all our furniture was only made of wood with no upholstery.

There is a staircase in this room that leads to the downstairs. My mom and Kathleen thought it could be dangerous for someone in a wheelchair with visual problems because it is so open. It does have good railings and slip-protective coverings. Kathleen spoke to Ann and suggested some sort of swinging gate or at least a sign to warn persons in a wheelchair that there is an open stairway located here. Kathleen also suggested contrasting colored nosings to help visually impaired persons who are walking up or down these stairs determine each step. 

From here we head to the elevator which is off this room. The elevator is very large and spacious and could fit all of us with my wheelchair with no problem at all. The elevator brought us to a hallway in the lower level. Restrooms are located here.

There is a separate universal accessible restroom for persons in wheelchairs. I found it a little tight to get my electric wheelchair lined up to go through the door. My chair did fit through the door and inside I saw all the ADA required safety grab bars. I was surprised not to see the ADA required covering around the exposed pipes under the wheelchair accessible sink. The building is so new and must have had full inspection and all I can think it that the town plumbing inspector missed this. I even had to have it installed on the pipes on my sink at my home in order to pass town building inspection.

We then proceeded to another huge room called Lower Hall. The theme of this room is ‘Encounter the 17th Century’. There is a beautiful large replica of the Mayflower in a glass case which is very accessible and easy to see. I really enjoyed seeing since the real Mayflower is not wheelchair accessible. There are also large displays with much of the history of the Colonists and Holland and England.

There are pieces of furniture of the 17th century in this room and a display of the Winslow’s furniture. Edward Winslow was on the Mayflower and he became the leader of the Pilgrims and was the Governor for three terms. He was also an ambassador to the Wampanoag Indians. His son Josiah married Penelope and their Tombstone is also on display in the Lower Hall.

There is a hands on display that you get to put a piece of paper over part of a replica of the tombstone and rub a piece of wax to make a sketch of it. This is very wheelchair accessible and I could reach it and made a sketch easily.

We decided to head out for we were all hungry for lunch. But we will come back for there is much we didn’t get to see. We went back upstairs in the elevator and said goodbye to Ann. We told her how much we enjoyed our visit and told her that we found the inside of Pilgrim Hall Museum very wheelchair accessible and I really appreciate all of the planning to make it so accessible to all, especially since I am myself in a wheelchair. We again told her a few of our suggestions about the staircase and the outside sloped path and she said she would mention it to the others from the museum.

My mom and Kate opened the front doors for me to wheel out in my electric wheelchair. Ii didn’t see how close the front stairway was so they came flying to stop my wheelchair and pointed me to the right where I entered the paved path to the slope. Kathleen and my mom went back inside and recommended to Ann that the museum place a separate side door for disabled to access the paved slope because the main entry doors lead to the top of the stairs and there is not much room here for a person in a wheelchair to turn towards the paved slope so one in a wheelchair may not see the stairs and wheel down them! There is also no contrast in color. The landing and the stairs are all the same light colored cement.

Kenny & Company give Pilgrim Hall Museum TWO STARS for wheelchair accessibility and safety. In order to earn the other Three Stars, they would need to place a railing on both sides of the paved upward zig zag slope leading to the main entry doors, place a swinging gate or warning at the stairway inside that leads to the downstairs, place protective covering around the exposed pipes under the accessible sink in the accessible unisex restroom and place a separate entry-exit door for the disabled that lead to and from the paved slope path. We also think it would be great if the museum offered free or discounted entry to the disabled.

Amendment: July 1, 2009

While traveling on Main Street on July 1, 2009, my friends and I saw that the Pilgrim Hall Museum  management placed a fence at the turn on the wheelchair accessible slope. This fence will help ensure a person in a wheelchair doesn’t fall over the steep hill. at the turn of the accessible slope. Due to this needed change we added a Star to the orignal 2 Star rating.