Accessible Concessions: Enjoying Outdoor Eats from a Wheelchair
The Challenge of Concessions
Concession stands and food trucks aren’t always designed with accessibility in mind. Counters can be high, utensils flimsy, and straws scarce. As someone with cerebral palsy, these challenges are amplified. Over the years, I’ve developed strategies to make eating at outdoor events easier. These tips haveworked for me, and I hope they help you too.
5 Hacks for Accessible Concessions
- Ordering and Paying:
- High counters can be a major hurdle. Don’t hesitate to ask the staff to come to a side door or assist you. Most are happy to help.
- Make paying a breeze by using Apple Pay or Google Pay. It’s much easier than dealing with cash and coins, especially if you have limited dexterity. Here’s a link for tips on making Apple Pay and Google Pay easier to use.
- Carrying Your Food:
- Request a box to carry your order. Often, they have empty drink cartons that work perfectly. You only need to keep a finger on one side to keep everything secure.
- If boxes aren’t available, ask them to wrap everything in foil. This helps prevent spills and keeps your food contained.
Straws are Essential:
- Assume they’ll have bottled drinks but no good straws. Many places only have short, flimsy ones.
- If you need a straw, bring your own! Extra-long straws are ideal for bottled drinks, preventing them from slipping down into the bottle.
- The Magic Opener:
- Consider carrying a “Magic Opener Mini.” It’s a small tool that can open various bottle caps and can tabs. It’s a lifesaver for anyone who struggles with opening containers.
- Wheelchair Bag Essentials:
- Keep extra-long straws and a Magic Opener in your wheelchair bag. I always have them in my “dad bag.”
- Speaking of wheelchair bags, I designed the Tekno Plus bag with Feeldom. It has an integrated wallet, RFID protection, and a slot for a tracking tag. Use code WCDADDY for 10% off.
- Keep extra-long straws and a Magic Opener in your wheelchair bag. I always have them in my “dad bag.”
Gear Up and Enjoy!
With a little planning, eating at outdoor events can be enjoyable. Don’t let accessibility challenges keep you from those hot dogs, fries, hot off the grill burgers, and BBQ sandwiches.
