The Traveling Wheelchair

 
137 Warren Avenue
Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone: 508-746-1622
Website: http://www.plimoth.org/features/
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJEOKzU_Qpw

Once upon a time, in the fourth month of the year 2008, in the land not too too far away located in Plymouth there stood a village called Plimoth Plantation where native people and the pilgrims resided. Here they re-enact the Puritan culture back in 1627. Today, my mom, Kelly, Kevin and I realized this culture obviously didn’t include persons with a disability.

As we approached the entrance located on Rt. 3A we entered a parking lot and didn’t see any handicap parking spaces;  the entrance here as a large staircase and we saw no signs for an accessible handicap ramp. Fortunately, there was a lady that observed us looking for a handicap entrance and directed us to the far right approximately 20-30 yards away from the staircase. Later we learned the parking lot down the hill has handicap parking spaces with an easier paved slope leading to the entrance.

We proceeded down a very steep and narrow paved slope where I felt very adventurous. Fortunately, I had a strong staff who was able to assist me and keep me safe. We approached the visitor center and noticed three wide doors and the middle one was automatic where I pushed the button myself to enter the building. We asked the clerk if there were any special rates for the disabled and she explained to us about “limited access” which is a discount due to the fact that some of the exhibitions are not wheelchair accessible.

Regular admission tickets are $24 per person; $28 for both Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower 2; $10 for the ”limited access” pass for persons with a disability; and free for one person with the person with a disability; for they will need much help maneuvering their wheelchair on the tough terrain. You can also get discounted admission passes from your local library and it would only cost $5.00 for Admission! (See ” Links“ tab above for details).

In this building you will find restrooms which are spacious, wheelchair accessible and ADA compliant with a very large handicap stall. In addition, this building has a cafe with indoor/outdoor seating, a gift shop and two theaters which has a presentation of that era. All areas inside the visitor center are fully accessible. The theatres even have cut out areas for a person in a wheelchair to sit in rear, center and front of theatre which is great if one with low vision prefers to be closer to the screen,

After briefly viewing the film, we headed out the visitors center; here are automatic doors. We saw a golf cart that persons with disabilities can take to tour the sites. This golf cart would be good for persons who have difficulty walking but I cannot transfer safely into it. We all thought it would be wonderful if a wheelchair could wheel onto it! We first took the path towards the Wampanoag Homesite. Here, we met Nikkii, a Native Person wearing the traditional native clothing who was cooking venicne by a fire. She told us she is not an Indian; Indians are persons from India; she prefers to be called Native People rather than Native Indians. We met three female Native People but no males. We assumed they must have been out hunting for we could see all the fur skins of animals around from animals who must have been hunted down.

We also saw a Leentoo (Tee Pee), which was the Native Persons home. It had a very small entrance, similar to an egloo but Kevin and Kelly got me inside by tilting my wheelchair and my mom was photographer and got a great picture.  She took alot of pictures of the plantation but many didn’t come out because she had the camera on the wrong setting.

Inside the Tee Pee, was another female Native Person by a fire doing some sewing. After leaving the Tee Pee we found that the terrane, in certain spots was very sandy and muddy and my wheelchair got stuck, not just in this area, but throughout many areas throughout Plimouth Plantation. I’m glad that I didn’t use my electric wheelchair today, for it would have gotten stuck in the sand too and a lot harder to get out!

To the right of the Wampanoag Homesite is the Eel River Nature Walk, a wooden path that leads to 1627 English Village; a sign is posted that it is not wheelchair accessible due to 27 steps at end. I became dissappointed thinking that I would have to backtrack to the beginning when Nikkii saw that we were struggling showed me a  path  that is a shortcut for staff.

Even still, this short cut was very steep and my friends had a hard time pushing my chair uphill. As we finally got back on track,  we by passed a Museum Center and could oversee the Plantation from afar. The view was breath taking and inviting! I was waiting the anticipation of meeting theses Pilgrams. Again, up a steep and sandy uphill slope we carefully traveled; I felt as though I was on a rollercoaster ride but in slow motion. Finally we reached the top of the hill and saw the 1627 English Village; where again I became disappointed getting stuck in the sand and being redirected from staff whom lead us to beleive that certain other paths were better. Not only to discover that we were mislead with accessibility always being a factor.

We met a female Pilgrim at the top of hill that lead to the Pilgrim Village and she was  very kind.  It was such a beautiful view to see all the Pilgrim homes with the beautiful open ocean in the background from this point. We looked down the steep, downhill path and saw chickens and goats and some other Pilgrims. She told us that the slope was steep for a normal walking person and not fit for a wheelchair due to dirt, holes and rocks. She also told us a different path that we could take but we were all way too ’TIRED’ to go back…so we all missed out on seeing what  a real home of a Pilgrim looked like inside from the 17th century.

We turned around just to assend this hill which took forever according to Kevin pushing me. I felt bad, but in all we had an exciting experience and would definetly reconsider revisiting Plimouth Plantation, only for the sake of doing another wheelchair accessibility review for needed new renovated paths/terranes.

Christopher Columbus sure was right when he fought the controversy that the world was flat. LOL! Today I felt like I was in the 17th  Century when I visited the Plimoth Plantation with an English Settlement and home of Pilgrims in 1627 and a first hand look for the land, home and life of our fellow Native People.

The  Mayflower II is also included in the Admission ticket. It is only 3 miles from here on Rte 3A in the center of Plymouth on the historical harbor. We just drove by it today for we have seen it many times but it is not at all accessible to a person in a wheelchair. We took some pictures of me and Josh, my roommate here the other day.

Well at this point I can only assume that the Pilgrims left the disabled behind in England for no wheelchair can access the Mayflower II at the Plantation, not even today in a replica that recently underwent major work in Florida.

I give the Plimoth Plantation TWO STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Three Stars they would need to pave all of the paths (some are currently paved); make the slopes less steep; or provide wheelchair access to the golf cart; mark the paths that are easier for persons in a wheelchair to wheel along; provide some kind of wheelchair access (a ramp and lift) to at least the main deck of the Mayflower 2 so a person in a wheelchair can feel what is was like to be a Pilgrim coming to America on the Mayflower!

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Amendment: October 10, 2009

We revisited Plimoth Plantation and did not notice any improvements on wheelchair accessibility. We still gave them 2 Stars. To read our newest review click on:  Plimoth Plantation – 2009 Visit.