3.5
Ramping Up
CC Blooms has been around for 34 years. It is not stuck in the past, but – like much of Edinburgh – in an old building. Regulations keep coming up when I talk to people in venues about the challenges of making their spaces more accessible. When I first arrived, I expected to have to ask for help hauling my powerchair up the steps at the entrance, but I was positively surprised when ramps were brought out and I was one step closer to a late lunch or maybe early dinner. It took me a while to order because we got talking to one of the long-time staff about the history of the place and its struggles with accessibility. The very patient server came back several times while I kept getting distracted from choosing between the several vegan options for lunch deals, small plates and mains. We learned during the conversation that the ramps were first brought in when a regular started needing step-free access and I started dreaming of a world where you could become a regular even if you needed step-free access right from the start. I suppose the thing to do is to keep showing up, to keep asking and to refuse to be forgotten.
CC Blooms has been around for 34 years. It is not stuck in the past, but – like much of Edinburgh – in an old building. Regulations keep coming up when I talk to people in venues about the challenges of making their spaces more accessible. When I first arrived, I expected to have to ask for help hauling my powerchair up the steps at the entrance, but I was positively surprised when ramps were brought out and I was one step closer to a late lunch or maybe early dinner. It took me a while to order because we got talking to one of the long-time staff about the history of the place and its struggles with accessibility. The very patient server came back several times while I kept getting distracted from choosing between the several vegan options for lunch deals, small plates and mains. We learned during the conversation that the ramps were first brought in when a regular started needing step-free access and I started dreaming of a world where you could become a regular even if you needed step-free access right from the start. I suppose the thing to do is to keep showing up, to keep asking and to refuse to be forgotten.
