Mark Pickens, Pam Auer and Cynthia Gibbs-Pratt
Cynthia Gibbs-Pratt has had her fair share of close calls with cars almost hitting her. She’s gotten lost walking along busy roads and has felt the fear of knowing she’s not in the right place.
During a midday walk in downtown Harrisburg in June, Gibbs-Pratt grabbed onto friend Mark Pickens’ arm for some comfort as the sidewalk narrowed and traffic sped by on three-lane N. 2nd Street. She got a little nervous.
Pickens knew the feeling all too well. He was once hit by a car and offered to switch sides with her and walk closer to the busy street. But Gibbs-Pratt said that she was fine, and soon the pair made it back to a wider stretch of sidewalk, all while sweeping their white canes back and forth in front of them to feel their surroundings.
“We try to watch out for each other,” said Pam Auer, who led the group on her mobility scooter.
A few blocks later, Auer drove over a disintegrated, uneven section of sidewalk as her two friends, who both have impaired vision, walked around her on the flatter surface. They called it “water around the rock”—one person took the bumpy ride so the others could flow around her.
The group has little phrases and terms like this to describe their unique experiences. Some, like “water around the rock,” are more positive, showing comradery, while others, like “doing the twist,” are used to describe the aggravating way that Auer had to lurch her scooter up an uneven sidewalk ramp.
Having a disability impacts the way that the three Harrisburg residents have to think about everything—from navigating public transit to eating out, taking a walk and even using a public bathroom.
“You always have to think and plan in advance,” said Auer, who was born with spina bifida.
Steps Made
On the walk, I got a glimpse of what a fraction of a day might look like for my neighbors with disabilities. However, I was in sandals and walked over cracked pavement without a second thought. If I weren’t with the group, I probably wouldn’t have waited for the “walk” signal— privileges the rest of the group don’t have.
According to data collected by the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey, about 16% of Harrisburg’s population has a disability. This includes those with visual difficulties—like Gibbs-Pratt, who developed macular degeneration in her mid-40s, and Pickens, who lost most of his vision as a teen after suffering nerve damage. It also includes those with cognitive, ambulatory, hearing, self-care or independent living difficulties.
Over the years, Harrisburg has made steps towards becoming more accessible, according to Auer, who works for the Center for Independent Living of Central PA (CILCP). She has seen curb cuts updated, wheelchair ramps added to businesses, and sidewalks around the state Capitol building widened.
More recently, Harrisburg City Council added sign language interpretation to its meetings and discussed using a portion of its federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to construct an all-abilities playground.
However, activists and residents with disabilities still often feel like their needs aren’t prioritized.
While the friends walked around the city, they pointed out the positives—the businesses that have accommodated them, the auditory crosswalk signals that tell them when to “wait” and when to “walk.”
But for each small victory, they encounter more problems—a bus stop sign that is too discreet for Gibbs-Pratt to find, a crumbling sidewalk that shakes Auer on her scooter, a silent crosswalk signal that leaves Pickens guessing when to cross. The new roundabouts on N. 2nd Street are especially frightening to know how and when to cross, the advocates shared.
“We feel like third-class citizens,” Auer said.
But Auer understands that “you don’t know until you know,” and, once people do know, it’s on them to make a change. That’s why, Gibbs-Pratt and Pickens are both advocates with CILCP, continuing to educate and fight for improved accessibility.
“We want to work with people and be a part of positive solutions,” Pickens said.
Taking Steps
A group from CILCP has met with Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams each month for several months to talk about accessibility in the city.
Auer is grateful for the time and feels that Williams is taking their concerns seriously.
“I understand what the need is,” Williams told TheBurg. “I want to do what they want me to do.”
But, as with most things, it comes down to money, city officials stated.
Harrisburg’s Martin Luther King Jr. City Government Center was built in 1982 and, according to the city’s Parks, Recreation and Facilities Director Dave Baker, “the city’s budget hasn’t allowed for any major renovations to city hall.”
However, Baker said that the city has worked in the past few years with a consultant to work up conceptual plans for renovations, which would include ADA updates. Any big renovations, though, would require big funds, Baker explained, which hasn’t been feasible for a city that only recently offloaded large chunks of years-long debt and fought its way out of financial crisis. Grants for renovations are also difficult for city governments to win, Baker said.
In the meantime, the city plans to make small, temporary upgrades to its first-floor bathroom, which has been an issue for Auer as it’s too small to maneuver with her scooter. As frustrating as it’s been to attend sometimes hours-long council meetings without an easy way to access the restroom, she appreciates that the city is trying to help.
Over in the city’s Public Safety Building, renovations are planned for this year to make ADA-accessible updates to the first floor, funded through the city’s general fund. Additionally, all newly remodeled city parks are being made ADA-compliant, Baker said.
However, the city’s most recent ADA self-evaluation and transition plan dates back to 1992. Unsurprisingly, many of the findings and recommendations for updates had to do with inaccessible city hall bathrooms, one of Auer’s biggest headaches, and a problem that persists over 30 years later, among others.
“We are in the process of moving toward where we need to be,” Baker said. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
The CILCP group recognizes the city’s recent efforts, but knows there is much more to be done. There are still buildings and businesses in the city that aren’t accessible.
Ultimately, this can put them at risk of lawsuits. For example, in 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice received a complaint that a Harrisburg restaurant was not accessible. The business was investigated and fined, and owners addressed the ADA violations.
Auer said that she hopes businesses and organizations will proactively work towards accessibility if they aren’t already compliant.
“We want to work together, but we also want things to start moving,” Auer said.
Tools, Resources
CILCP participates in a lot of advocacy work, but also works to provide resources, assistance and community to those with disabilities.
That’s where Gibbs-Pratt and Pickens met and became friends and where people have found their voice for advocacy.
Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania (VROCP) is another local organization that provides support, job opportunities, social groups and audio services to people experiencing visual impairments and blindness.
Londa Peterson, who is blind, serves as Vision Resources’ access technology specialist and leads a group that helps people with visual challenges learn how to use the computer.
“I like seeing someone go from scared to confident,” she said.
In her daily life, Peterson uses different tools to help her access her computer and her phone and to get around when she is alone. She uses a braille display device to read emails and other text on her computer, as well as a program that can read computer text out loud to her. She has also used Aira, a live, on-demand visual interpreting service.
While users must pay for Aira, some businesses and even state and municipal governments have offered the service free to patrons and residents. Aira can be used for free in all Target stores and in Starbucks, and the state of Connecticut ran an 18-month pilot program offering free Aira usage to all residents.
Peterson shared some frustrating experiences, like going to a doctor’s office that only has paper forms or visiting a website that isn’t accessible. These are things that are relatively easily fixed, she believes.
“There are a lot of things that you can do for accessibility that don’t cost a lot of money,” Peterson said. “People need to think outside of themselves. Some of it is up to me and others like me to educate.”
Above & Beyond
For months, Auer has attended Harrisburg City Council meetings, advocating for accessibility. She has implored council members to pose questions of accessibility to developers, business owners and officials who come before them looking to build apartments, renovate buildings or allocate funding. She’s shared her struggles, has told them about the inaccessible bathroom, among other challenges, but she’s mainly interested in the future and how Harrisburg can improve.
Auer and some of the advocates said that they have even offered to serve as an advisory committee to the city.
There are a lot of big changes that Auer and others would like to see, but they believe that they’re really just asking for the essentials.
“We aren’t asking for the moon and stars,” Auer said. “We are asking for basic stuff.”
More than anything, they want to feel included, like they’re an important part of the city they live in. The attitudinal barriers that they face, when people are rude or just don’t care, often hurt the most.
On the flipside, Auer and the others from CILCP pointed out city businesses—like BurgerYum, Little Amps, Gamut Theatre, Open Stage and The Original Hot Dog Factory-Harrisburg—that do inclusion well.
“It’s a family restaurant, and we want everyone to feel like family,” explained Hauson Green, owner of the downtown branch of The Original Hot Dog Factory.
Auer and the group have come to the restaurant several times, and Green and the staff have always welcomed them, even changing the layout of the tables based on their feedback.
“People are people. They’re our customers, and they should be treated fairly,” Green said. “You don’t know what they go through on a daily basis. When you come in that door, we want everyone to feel welcome.”
This mindset, the willingness of people to do all they can to accommodate those with disabilities—that means a lot to Auer, Pickens and Gibbs-Pratt.
“It’s about how you go above and beyond,” Auer said. “It’s about being part of the community.”
The Center for Independent Living of Central PA is located at 3211 N. Front St., Suite 100, Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.cilcp.org.
Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania is located at 1130 S. 19th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.vrocp.org.
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