Ramping Up the Fun in Pittsburgh

Rolling down the spiral ramp connecting the floors of the Carnegie Science Center at full speed was an awful lot of fun. I was probably one of the only kids in Pittsburgh in a power wheelchair pulling a little red wagon with a ventilator on a trailer hitch. But, hey, having the driving skills of a professional tractortrailer driver before the age of 16 comes in handy navigating a city this big.

Now, 30 years later, as a disabled man, I’ve had the privilege of checking out the accessibility in many major towns across America and a few in Canada. It pleases me to report Pittsburgh is one of the most accessible when it comes to amenities, resources and cultural attractions for people using wheelchairs.

Anyone using a wheelchair can tell you two powerful enemies lurk in our world - stairs and cobblestones. While there are times when a single step may as well be a 3,000-yard jump, our city is surprisingly smooth. Outside of a few annoying Downtown streets where they absolutely refuse to give up the old-fashioned bricks, most of your driving in the city will be a great experience. From the South Side to The Point to the Cultural District, you’ll find sidewalks and pathways accessible, even if you need to be a little creative sometimes. For example, I find navigating our annual Picklesburgh and events at Point State Park easy; sometimes, you’ll need to watch out for dips in giant grassy areas where hot air balloons may have launched in the past.

The great Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has tons of hills, but it’s completely smooth with cement/asphalt pathways between all the attractions. I’ve had a lot of fun roaming between the different exhibits for hours on end. Perhaps my favorite part of my zoo experience is the penguin exhibit. It’s easy to roll into and provides a little bit of shelter on the hottest of days.

And speaking of Penguins, any guide to Pittsburgh without mentioning PPG Paints Arena would be extremely sad. The arena is accessible for both hockey games and other attractions that take place inside of it, and it has plenty of great seats. I’ve seen many amazing shows and have never had a bad view from the wheelchair spots or a bad experience. Unless you thought you saw me that one time I was distracted flirting with my date and ran my chair straight into Iceburgh. No, you didn’t.

Now, our local amusement park, Kennywood, doesn’t have any rides for someone in a power wheelchair, but all areas are accessible. That keeps things fun when you can still enjoy the company of your friends, even if you can’t ride the rides.

But most of us in wheelchairs are pretty accustomed to doing things a little differently. For example, if you want to visit the LeMont Restaurant on Mount Washington, note that while the main entrance is not accessible for wheelchairs, they have an alternative entrance. Sometimes buildings weren’t made with accessibility in mind. Still, Pittsburghers are pretty good at helping you figure out ways around buildings that were not designed to be accessible to everyone.

You’ll find this is a common theme throughout the city. Most people here do their best to help you if they can. There are places to be wary of, including bars that have a lot of stairs to deal with, but most places will do what they can to help.

The city's popular Meat & Potatoes gastropub is a small and cramped place filled with culture and delicious food. Navigating a power wheelchair there wasn’t easy. But the restaurant owner made me feel very welcome, moving tables and patrons when necessary. In fact, when one woman tripped over my back tire, she even bought me a drink, which led to a fun night and some great memories. a means of defeating social isolation. When not writing or doing charity work, you can find him reading the latest sci-fi novels or cracking jokes on social media, which you can follow on Twitter (@StevenSpohn) or Facebook.com/StevenSpohn.

⊲ Steven Spohn is the COO of AbleGamers Charity, an award-winning author and advocate for people with disabilities. He currently resides out of Pittsburgh with his two cats. Steve is an avid gamer who champions for people with disabilities in the video game space as a means of defeating social isolation. When not writing or doing charity work, you can find him reading the latest sci-fi novels or cracking jokes on social media, which you can follow on Twitter (@StevenSpohn) or Facebook.com/StevenSpohn.