Wheeling through Portland When stairs are impassable and snowbanks are quicksand, life can be very frustrating indeed BY MATTHEW MACDONALD

Home is where the heart is — until that same home becomes a virtual prison. This happened to me last year. I was living in an apartment in Portland. The building, old like many in Portland, had steps leading to the entrance. This was not so much of problem until the state of my health declined and the steps became insurmountable. The three steps might as well have been a hundred, as climbing them became virtually impossible. With no alternate exit, and with the difficulty of easily adapting the building to an accessible state, I was trapped.

I had no way to get out to appointments and meetings or even into the outside world for a breath of fresh air. What’s worse, none of the city’s transportation or ambulatory agencies would even come in to provide me with assistance, as they wouldn’t climb more than two steps due to insurance risks. I liked my apartment, but to stay in it 24 hours a day grew tiresome.

This being an old city, the buildings are equally old, and many are therefore not accessible to those with walking difficulties or in wheelchairs. Finding an apartment in Portland takes enough work as it is, making numerous phone calls and then nabbing it before it is snapped up by someone else. When the stipulation of needing a flat front entrance is added, and in some cases needing more in an apartment, such as space under the cupboards so a wheelchair can be driven under, the search becomes instantly more difficult, the choices more limited.

So began the predicament of trying to find an accessible apartment in the old city of Portland. Yes, landlords are now required to make necessary modifications to allow for access, but adding a wheelchair lift to a building with only steps may cost upwards of $25,000 and the landlord is not required by law to cover the cost unless there is federal money in the complex. There are ways for property owners to get around this, with "loans and tax credits," says Denis Pratt, an architect who works with small projects related to accessibility. But that is a long process, and not one with which a property owner might want to get involved.

And it’s not just finding a place to live; I was recently invited to a friend’s Christmas party. I ended up not being able to attend because there were three steps — a constant thorn in my side — to enter the apartment building. I was unfortunately excluded from a fun event among friends in the middle of the joyous holiday season because of an inaccessible area. It’s difficult and frustrating when all your friends live in an inaccessible apartment and you need a friend to wait on you in order to get in.

There are apartments built to be accessible, but these are usually reserved for the elderly. This is the case with Portland’s Bayview Heights. "The entire building is accessible; we have three apartments are designed for wheelchairs," says Bayview’s Sandra Pederson, but to live there "residents have to be 62 years or older." By law, landlords are required not to discriminate against the disabled. But unless the apartment is accessible through the front door anyway, that point becomes moot. Further, if apartments are built to specifically accommodate a wheelchair user, and are only rented to those in a wheelchair, landlords "worry that they’ll have trouble filling them," says Pratt. The end result, continues Pratt, is "young people living in elderly housing." Other housing is available, but has a waiting list months long.

Where do the young people live?

"We continue to narrow the field," says Alpha One’s Brad Strauss, "Young people are forced to live either with their parents, in a nursing home, or in inaccessible housing." Alpha One, located in South Portland, works "to transform communities by promoting the abilities of all citizens." The group helps those with disabilities live a quality life through innovation and the creation of new opportunities that might otherwise not have been in place. "We’re trying to develop some new opportunities," says Strauss, "developing some loans that can create an accessible space for someone with a disability." But there are problems with this. "For these loans, you need a good credit history, and some on disability just don’t have that. Also, they’re often on a fixed income," which forces a person to further limit his or her search because of their need for subsidized housing.

In addition, "housing and transportation goes hand in hand," according to Strauss. The need to be near a bus line becomes critical for those disabled people who don’t have — or can’t afford — their own modified car. Fortunately, Portland’s transportation system is disabled-friendly, assuming a person with a need for it can get to it. All METRO buses are equipped with wheelchair-accessible lifts to accommodate two wheelchairs. The buses run all over the city and are a good option. For those unable to ride the public METRO system, too, Regional Transportation provides the ADAPT service, which provides door-to-door pickup for a minimal charge. Their buses can accommodate wheelchairs, as well as other passengers who may have difficulties getting around the city.

The only problem with RTP is the difficulty it has keeping its schedule. The RTP buses not only have to circle the Portland area, but can go as far as Westbrook or Kennebunk as well. While the system can get you to an appointment on time, I’ve waited for as much as 45 minutes outside in frigid weather for a bus because they have not been able to pick me up directly at my door, as stopping on the busy street is impossible.

Coming back from an appointment is worse. The wait can be even longer because the priority isn’t very high for the return trip. While RTP is an extremely helpful service to the city’s disabled population, to have to wait so long is a maddening drawback.

Given all these impediments, Strauss, with a sense of understatement, calls searching for an apartment in the city "difficult," as you end up having to pick from a "limited inventory."

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), enacted in 1990 "to establish a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability," included provisions to eliminate discrimination in housing, employment, establishments of business, and public services. Any new structure must fit the standards set forth by this act, as it is law. But there are many old structures still existing in Portland that don’t fall under the ADA.

When the original infrastructure of Portland was laid down, accessibility by the disabled was not taken into account. That’s because until recently, the disabled were often shut out of many parts of society. The old structures in the city won’t be changed because it is not "readily achievable" to do so, which the ADA defines as "easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense."

"I would say maybe 40 percent of Portland is fully accessible," says Scott Harmon of Home Care Services, a South Portland provider of rental equipment for the disabled. The brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets lend the city its aura, but it also comes with a price for anyone with walking difficulties or using a wheelchair — it’s jarring and unstable. The worst is when you come to the end of a sidewalk to find that there is no ramp to get off! This occurrence results in back-tracking, locating the next nearest accessible sidewalk, and navigating a new route. At worst, it involves riding in the street and hoping the drivers behind the wheel are keeping a close eye out.

These qualities of the city are unlikely to change anytime soon, if ever. "I don’t see it happening," said Harmon. "I know they’re making improvements, but it seemed like it stopped a little bit."

Another nostalgic element of the city is its landmarks — relatives are in town, you want to show them the sights. There are many sites in the city that have been designated historical for their importance. But at the time of their construction, obviously no such ADA requirements existed, making them barriers to the disabled. The designated landmarks include the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow house, the Victoria Mansion, and Portland Observatory. Are these made accessible to disabled persons? The answer is . . . partially.

The Longfellow House is run by the Maine Historical Society. Carolin Collins, the Maine Historical Society’s Education Coordinator, says though they "make every effort to be accessible . . . the historic fabric of the structure must be left intact." Thus, the second floor of the house cannot be attained by a wheelchair because of the stairs. So Longfellow’s bedroom and other rooms above cannot be seen in person by anyone in a wheelchair, but "we have photographs here of the second floor," says Collins.

Hillary Bassett, of Greater Portland Landmarks, explains that they "try to make [landmarks] accessible in accordance with the ADA, but without altering their historical significance." Greater Portland Landmarks operates the Portland Observatory. Being almost 200 years old, the Observatory has stairs to get to the top, but is now equipped with a lift to make it accessible to people with wheelchairs. Yet the same problem with the Longfellow House also applies here, as the top floor is out of reach.

Compensations are made, though. A webcam was used to show the view from the top, but "had to be taken down at the request of Homeland Security," said Bassett (no, she wasn’t kidding). Now pictures are used instead.