THE PUBLIC MIND: LACK OF HANDICAP ACCESSABILITY HERE CAUSES SHAME FOR WOMAN

Dear Editor:

I am so ashamed. On my drive home from Cape to Carbondale this evening, I had this overwhelming feeling of shame. My family settled in Southeast Missouri in 1980 from Southern California. During the first six years, I always felt like an outsider. Then I began my education at Southeast Missouri State University, and slowly I began to feel at home again. For six years I worked, lived and earned my degree in Cape Girardeau. Then two years ago, I left to attend graduate school at Southern Illinois University. I remember crying as I went over the bridge. I told people I came in contact with that Cape was my hometown and I was proud of that.

A year and a half ago, I met the most wonderful man, we fell in love, and got married in Cape Girardeau. (I wanted to get married in my hometown.) My husband was paralyzed in an automobile accident in 1982. We have visited Cape often in the last year as my parents still live in the area. It's not so much the stairs, the narrow doorways, the inaccessible bathrooms, but rather the reaction of the businesses when told about the problems. I always try to approach these occasions with the thought "they probably don't even realize there is a problem." Well ignorance can no longer be tolerated.

One restaurant owner said he could use the employee entrance out back. Just roll on through where the food is being prepared! The movie theatre said they knew about the bathroom, but hadn't gotten to it. Numerous older downtown businesses aren't accessible. I'm not going to go into the legal issue, I'm not a lawyer. All I am is a citizen who is ashamed to bring my husband home any more and run into such discrimination.

We don't want any special treatment, just respect. I don't want to point the finger, I just want people to open their eyes. We are all just temporarily abled. Some day we will all be limited to some degree; if not yet, we should consider ourselves fortunate. How would you like to be treated?

I know we are not the only wheelchair users to visit or live in the area. It is these differences among us that make this country so great. Cape Girardeau too can benefit from the contribution of all its citizens, if only they are allowed to contribute. I'm not sure I am the one to be bringing this issue to the forefront, but it really makes me sad that Cape Girardeau, my hometown, is facing the 21st century with blinders on.

Regretfully,

Joanne E. Shuck

Carbondale, Ill.