Re: [at-l] The Whole Access Problem

["David F. Addleton" <dfaddleton@mindspring.com>]

Well spoken Lynn, thank you.

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 8/18/00 at 7:59 PM Lynn Setzer wrote:

>I feel the urge to jump in on this one.......
>
>
>One of the items that motivated me to write the AT book was the fact that,
>in early 1995, my mother had a serious blood circulation problem that
>ultimately resulted in having her leg amputated from the knee down.  (All of
>this happened after she was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis -- at the age
>of 35.)   After spending time helping her with her rehab, I came to the
>realization that a person best do the things that really matter to him/her
>before something in life conspires to get in the way.   I wanted to write a
>book, and I wanted to hike the trail, and in a flash of insight I said to
>myself, in November of 1995, "Let's write a book at the AT!"
>
>
>Today, my Mom is very aware of the AT community, through the book of course.
>Her generation of women  didn't go out and hike much....she missed out on a
>lot I take for granted.  She often sounds a little wistful when, today, she
>can't go out and experience some of the outdoors things I get to experience.
>Me, I impressed that she gets out of bed in the morning with a happy
>attitude.  Can't say I'd be as accepting of those circumstances......
>
>Come September, when my family holds a mini-reunion near Linville Gorge, I
>want her to be able to *see* Linville Gorge.  She's lived in NC most of her
>life, but has never been to see the gorge.   I want her to be able to just
>go out the short distance -- maybe .25 miles -- and hang her head over the
>overlook and see this beautiful gorge.  The only problem is, a 72 year old,
>near-crippled woman with a prosthesis is gonna have some trouble walking
>this short, uphill distance.  I've resolved myself to the fact that in order
>for her to see Linville Gorge, from the easiest of overlooks, I'm gonna
>become her crutch.  However long it takes to get here there is how long it's
>going to take.
>
>
>Do I think that the disabled folks who hiked along the trail  got the same
>experience that others of us -- the healthy and strong and fortunate  --
>get?  Of course not.  But they get something, and that's worth a lot.
>
>Do I think that every trail should be made "accessible"?   No, I don't.  But
>I do think there's enough trails that perhaps we can afford to share a
>few -- even the ones with the most celebrity attached to them.   I don't
>think we have to horde them, plus I don't think sharing the pathways
>diminishes anyone else's achievement.
>
>
>Lynn
>
>
>
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