Oil Up Those Wheels...

Every January, we make false promises to ourselves about losing weight, being nicer, working harder, eating better and dancing more like Shakira. 

However, I am going to broadcast said promises by attempting to do a regular blog post on wheelchair fitness where I actually partake in sporting activities and review them. 

I will undertake walking (woo), swimming (hurrah), boxing (good GOD), basketball (eep), rugby (GAH), martial arts (lol) and general gym activities (don't look at me when I cry). 

If you have any recommendations of gyms, classes, organisations or walking routes, please let me know.  

Thank you. 

Pitt Bros BBQ

Pitt Bros BBQ
Unit 1, Wicklow House, Georges Street, Dublin 2
pittbrosbbq.com


Meat, meat, GLORIOUS meat. With a menu that boasts craft beers, five different meat dishes either smoked or pulled and a selection of mouth-watering sides, Pitt Bros BBQ is not the type of place for people with a plain palette. You get a decent portion for under €15 and when you think you can devour no more, there's a free pour your own ice cream cone on offer. When we went there, the happiness levels went from a stuffed plateau of content to soaring joy with the arrival of the cones. Great spot.


What has it got?

Seating: All of the chairs are moveable here but the tables are often communal so you might have to wait a while to get a spot for all of your party. 

Doors: The doors are a little heavy but chairs fit in nicely. 

Ground: Concrete floor in the seating area and tiled bathroom floor. 

Stairs: No steps in or out. 

Bathrooms: The wheelchair bathroom is huge here. You could probably raise a small family here if you were brazen enough. Plus, they have TWO sinks in there. Spoiled. 

Spaciousness: In the seating area, it can be a little crowded but choose your seat wisely and you should have a clear path to the bathroom and the main door. 

Helpfulness of Staff: The staff are very helpful here in regards to which meat you would like and which table would be best suited to your chair. 

Parking: There is a wheelchair parking spot on Dame Court, as well as plenty of on street parking, and two wheelchair spots on Drury Street where there is also a car park and more on street parking spots. Map here. 

Rating: 9/10

Why did it lose points? Pitt Bros BBQ lost one point because it can be a bit crowded which would interfere with you getting a decent table to suit your chair. Because you cannot pre-book a table, it's walk-in only which means that it's luck of the draw for a suitable table. Otherwise, great spot with incredible food. 

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (Grand Canal Theatre)

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Grand Canal Square, Docklands, Dublin 2
bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

It took a while for Dublin to get a theatre that was deserving of Broadway and West End productions but with the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre - where every seat has a good view - the wait was worth it. Surrounded by restaurants with theatre-based menus, the swanky Marker Hotel and a Fresh shop with a hearty pick n' mix selection, the entire Grand Canal Square is geared towards an evening out.


What has it got?

Seating: Wheelchair users have options when they book tickets here. You can either have an aisle seat and hop out of your chair or there are spaces where you can wheel in and join a row or there are moveable chairs in the wing areas. When you are booking tickets in person or on the phone, clarify what you need and they will sort you out.

Doors: The doors are all very wide and you might need to give a heave to get some of them open but they are normally manned by the staff. 

Ground: The entrance is tiled and the venue area is carpeted. 

Stairs: Wherever there are stairs, there is also a lift. The ground level seating area is mostly on sloped ground but there are steps at the back section and up in the tiered seating balcony. 

Bathrooms: There is at least one wheelchair bathroom on every floor and they are very spacious. However, they could do with a few more larger bathrooms to cater for the crowds. 

Spaciousness: There is a lot of room here, especially in the foyer. 

Helpfulness of Staff: They are very helpful here and they have a lot of information on their website here in other ways that they can assist in terms of access. 

Parking: There is a car park below the theatre and you can pre-book wheelchair spots through Q Park's website. 

Rating: 10/10

Why did it lose points? The design of the theatre is very open so there is a lot of space. The option of seating arrangements for wheelchair users and their friends/family is a major plus. From the Access section of their website, you can see that they have given it a lot of consideration and nothing feels like a last minute arrangement. 

Hailo: Wheelchair Taxis

Last night, I was ordering a taxi on my Hailo app. I normally do not tick the 'Wheelchair Accessible' option because I can transfer from chair to car without assistance but I decided to try it out this time because I had surgery on my foot and needed to "take it easy".

In Hailo, if you click into Account and then Options, you can say yes or no to a Wheelchair Accessible taxi.

In my mind, this would mean a taxi with a ramp as that is specifically wheelchair adapted whereas most cars - if their boot is big enough - can physically take a wheelchair without any adaptions made.

A car arrived a few minutes later and it was a regular car. I didn't mind because I could still hop in and out without without putting too much pressure on my foot but, funnily, the taxi driver asked me if he was correct in describing his car as wheelchair accessible. It was his first time putting that as an option and my first time ticking it as an option so we were as clueless as each other.

When he ticked it, he meant that he would take wheelchair users and would help in anyway that he can. However, he was conflicted because if someone couldn't get out of their chair, they would have to wait for another taxi to come along that was properly accessible.

What I want to know is: Should Hailo go into more details about wheelchair accessibility on their app?

My driver didn't know what to do because he noted that some drivers would point blank refuse to take wheelchair users (something I have unfortunately experienced myself) so he wanted people to know that he would take them no matter what.

What have your experiences with wheelchair accessible taxis been like and how do you think Hailo should describe it?



UPDATE (2 December '13):
Hailo got back to me on the matter and - by their definition - when a taxi drivers chooses the option of 'wheelchair accessible', the taxi should have the following:

Hold a wheelchair SPSV license

Have an appropriate ramp or lift

Have all wheelchair restraints

Have the wheelchair symbol on their roofsign

They also stated:

Hailo prides itself on its ability to provide the four major cities of Ireland with a well stocked fleet of both wheelchair and non-wheelchair accessible taxis, with a current fleet of 129 wheelchair accessible taxis, the largest of its kind in the country. 

We are currently reviewing our own internal processes, with an audit conducted this morning to ensure that drivers that list their vehicle as 'wheelchair accessible', hold a fully updated SPSV License which asserts this fact.  

Hailo currently favours wheelchair users when ordering a cab, extending the typical radius for cab allocation, this extension offers our wheelchair users the greatest possible opportunity to receive a Hailo cab. 

Viewmount Restaurant, Co. Longford

Viewmount Restaurant
Viewmount House, Dublin Road, Co. Longford
viewmounthouse.com


Before visiting Viewmount House, I knew three things about Longford. 1) My cousins live there, 2) my good friend Alan is from there and 3) Luigi's on Main Street Longford serve some damn fine curry chips. I now know that if you want the most mouth-watering beef, go here. It is slow cooked over the course of 48 hours and, to steal a line from my cousin Rob, you could cut it with a butter knife. Flippin' elicious.


What has it got?

Seating: The tables and chairs are all moveable here. 

Doors: The majority of the doors inside are wide and easy to push open. I used the side entrance to get in and they had double doors there and they both opened easily. 

Ground: Inside, the floor is wooden. Outside, there is cobblestones and tar. The cobbles aren't too difficult to cross as the grooves aren't too deep. 

Stairs: There are a few steps inside the restaurant but if you ring ahead and inform them of what you need, they will bring you in the side entrance which is flat. 

Bathrooms: They have a big wheelchair bathroom here. Unfortunately, there is no lock on the door so pee with your eye sharply on the door. 

Spaciousness: There was plenty of room for me but when you are making a booking, again, inform them of what you need so they can accommodate you properly. 

Helpfulness of Staff: They were incredibly helpful here. They covered every aspect and they're very prepared when guests that use wheelchairs arrive. 

Parking: They allowed us to park right beside the door so I had less ground to cover, which was very handy.

Rating: 9/10

Why did it lose points? It lost one point simply because I had to use a different entrance to combat the steps inside. Other than that, it was a great experience. Longford is very lucky to have a restaurant like this. Luigi's finally has some serious competition. 

Wuff

Wuff
23 Benburb Street, Dublin 7
wuff.ie


Located on the skirting board of Stoneybatter and Smithfield, you will find Wuff, a cool little café/restaurant that offers a hefty and tasty lunch at a decent enough price. It's a good corner to munch away the lunchtime hunger pains (the chips are fab) and watch half of Dublin's population stroll by.


What has it got?

Seating: All of the tables have moveable chairs so you can slip your chair in nicely.

Doors: The front doors have a double door and you will need someone to open up both of these to fit through.

Ground: The floor is tiled. 

Stairs: There are no steps to be found in Wuff which is luffly just a big slope up to the bathrooms. 

Bathrooms: They have a wheelchair bathroom and there is plenty of room in here. 

Spaciousness: Wuff wasn't too packed when I was there so I had no problems with getting around. However, when it fills up, you might have to ask people to pull in their chairs. 

Helpfulness of Staff: The staff were very helpful and taught us the knack of unlocking the double doors. 

Parking: There is plenty of on street parking close by. There are specific wheelchair spots in the area. I will update this with precise locations shortly. 

Rating: 10/10

Why did it lose points? I had no problems here with my wheelchair at all and the lunch menu was delicious so all in all, a top notch job from Wuff. 

Da Mario, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Da Mario
Maynooth Road, Celbridge, Co. Kildare
damario.ie


Whenever I go back to the homestead, Marios is the restaurant that my family go to celebrate anything. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or just a Friday night. It's a family-run Italian restaurant and they know their food and wine, particularly of the Sicilian variety, like the back of their hands. All of their pasta and pizza comes as a gluten-free option and they have an adjoining takeaway.


What has it got?

Seating: All of the tables have moveable chairs and if you mention when you are booking that there is a wheelchair user in your party, they'll make sure your table is easy to get to. 

Doors: The front doors are a little tight to navigate but a wheelchair fits through them. The doors out to the bathroom are wide and easy to open. 

Ground: The floors are tiled. 

Stairs: There is one large step at the front door but it is completely flat outside. 

Bathrooms: They have a wheelchair bathroom with all of the correct bars and handrails. 

Spaciousness: As the place fills up, tables and chairs and bodies can block your path but if you have a table on the edge of the eating area, you will be fine. 

Helpfulness of Staff: The staff are very helpful here as they always help me in and out at the front step and hold all the doors open for me. 

Parking: There is a car park at the back of Marios which has wheelchair parking available. 

Rating: 8/10

Why did it lose points? The entrance is a bit tricky as the there is a step in and, after that, you immediately meet a set of doors. This means that you definitely need helping getting in and out if you are in a wheelchair. Other than that, the inside is completely flat and the wheelchair bathroom is practically perfect.