Roberta is the founder of Destination Accessible US Inc. Due to a bizarre accident, she has first-hand experience of temporarily being in a wheelchair. Having also had a mother and father who went from canes to walkers, to wheelchairs, she knew the frustration of obtaining information about the accessibility of venues. Her frustration grew as she was unable to find adequate, or correct information.
Her father, in particular, loved to go out to restaurants, theaters, and museums. Finding out about the accessibility of those places was a huge challenge. After many frustrating experiences, she decided to create a website to allow people with mobility challenges to “know before they go,” what they would find when they got there. With the help of a dear friend, they began brainstorming how best to do this. After many months of research, they decided to focus on leisure locations, such as restaurants, theaters, parks, museums, and other popular places. They knew that it was essential that they visit every venue that would be posted on www.destinationaccessible.org. They developed guidelines to assess the places they would visit. All of the information at www.destinationaccessible.org, is first-hand, based on those personal visits.
They also wanted to provide a personal story (their blog, also called the “Read More”) about their experience on the date they visited. The goal of Destination Accessible is to provide people with mobility challenges the information they need to make informed decisions about whether or not a destination is appropriate for them, and what to expect when they get there. Destination Accessible does not tell anyone where to go, they simply want people to “know before they go,” to ensure their best experience possible. Unfortunately, the friend has moved to North Carolina and is no longer involved, but Roberta and the Board of Directors have carried on.
