We were in the gift shop at Mt. Rushmore, when I heard someone — the fellow in the wheelchair outside the door in the picture above — ask, “Could you push that button for me, please?”
He wasn’t asking me, He was asking someone else, but my curiosity made me look to see why he would have to ask anyone else.
He couldn’t reach it. The display was in the way.
He didn’t make a fuss, and neither did I. Most people don’t — not even the ones in wheelchairs.
I should have said something. My brother-in-law, Scott, would have. He would’ve wheeled right over to the counter where the sales people were and demanded to see a manager. He probably wouldn’t have been quiet about it either — and he would have been justified.
I have sent an email to the gift store and filled out a comment form on their on-line site.
Update to this article:
Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, August 26, 2007, 5:25 P.M.
I just received the following message regarding the display described in the article below:
Thank you for bringing to our attention that the button was blocked. Unfortunately the display was moved and we were not aware of it. But we have taken care of it now. We do try to be aware of the ease of use of the button, but sometimes we neglect it. We are sorry for any inconvenience this caused and we hope that it will not stop you from wanting to come back to Mt Rushmore in the future.
Mark Parker
Retail Manager
It is refreshing to see prompt action taken when something is not right. However, I still wish that I had said something at the time. I also wonder of all the thousands of people who have gone through that store since the button was blocked, how many noticed, and how many were disabled and could not use the button.
