Disability Rights Washington’s Disability Mobility Initiative Fellow Tanisha Sepulveda, who uses an electric wheelchair, was unable to get home during a snowstorm a few years ago because the sidewalks were not maintained. When she lived up in the hills of the Chinatown International District, she had too much snow covering the sidewalks, along an empty parking lot on the way to her apartment.
“Luckily there was a fire station at the bottom of the hill, so I had to ask the firefighters to push their wheelchairs up the hill through the snow,” she said with a laugh. . “And they did, and they were great.”
Snow affects Sepulveda’s travel plans, but ice is even more dangerous.
“There is no traction,” said Sepulveda, who now lives in the White Center. “In mud you may get stuck, but in ice you can slip and slide.”
Snow and ice rarely linger in the area for long, but property owners should keep sidewalks clear and passable until frigid temperatures dissipate.
“Take great care to keep the sidewalks clean,” said Sepulveda. I would be very grateful if my neighbors could help me do that by keeping the sidewalks clean. ”
