x
Breaking News
More () »

Man in wheelchair risks his life to cross the street

Broken sidewalks, dangerous intersections and steep ramps are just some of the chronic issues making life difficult for wheelchair users in Northeast, D.C.

Broken sidewalks, dangerous intersections and steep ramps are just some of the chronic issues making life difficult for wheelchair users in Northeast, D.C.

RELATED: Living life with a disability

WUSA9 Reporter Andrea McCarren checked out some of the places viewers suggested on social media. She never even made it Southeast because there are so many barriers that quadrant.

“It’s rough,” said John Crum.

Crum is at the mercy of strangers.

“I was shaking for a minute trying to get through there,” Crum said.

He was simply trying to make it across the street alive.

“Sometimes you have to just [rush] your way out there. Make them stop,” he said. “That’s dangerous.”

RELATED: How wheelchair users manage when vertical lifts fail

Even with a crosswalk at Minnesota Avenue in Northeast at Clay Place, it is a danger zone.

The construction in this neighborhood makes this area an obstacle course of barricades, bumpy sidewalks and missing curb cuts.

“You got to go all the way around to get to one,” said Crum. “That’s life.”

Another challenge is steep ramps. It leads to a pedestrian bridge that crosses 295.

RELATED: New tool makes DC sidewalks more accessible for everyone

Imagine what it’s like in a manual wheelchair rolling up a vertical incline for well over 100 feet.

Andrea McCarren checked the law on this and learned the Americans with Disabilities Act requires a flat place to pull over and rest every 30 feet. This ramp doesn’t have any.

If you see a barrier to anyone with a mobility issue, let us know about it. Take a photo or shoot a short video and email it to nobarriers@wusa9.com.

Before You Leave, Check This Out