Gaining Strength- My Experience At The Mall As Someone Recovering From Being Bedridden For Weeks

Last week, I went to a popular mall in Southern California with some friends that has a large selection of stores. This week, I want to rate the mall's accessibility as someone who now needs to use a cane for any activity that involves walking for long periods.

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1: Parking

The parking lot is massive, so I have learned the best places to park where there are open disability parking spaces. I went on a Sunday, so it was more crowded than I was used to, but I still found a disability parking space. I was lucky that my friend was able to drive me to the mall, because I am not able to drive right now, as I am so weak. Not being able to drive due to muscle atrophy is a struggle because of the loss of independence. Being able to leave the house and have available parking felt empowering, but there aren't enough disability parking spaces at each section of the parking lot.

2: Stores

This mall is huge. I didn't make it to every single store I wanted to browse because between my disability and another friend's disability, it was too much walking. However, I did make it to all 3 stores I wanted to visit to try on clothes and/or look at products. Two of those stores led to a purchase. And I was able to window shop with friends who wanted to check out other stores. However, in the stores, I ran into some issues. I went into a makeup store to buy some skincare products. The products I was interested in were on the floor, so I sat down to read labels and make choices. Because I am so weak, when I went to stand, I fell back down. I couldn't get up by myself, and my able-bodied friend had to help me. I never had to worry about that part of shopping before, and I don't know what I would have done if I were alone.

3: Seating and walking access

There are seats in the food court, but surprisingly few seating areas when walking between stores. When there were benches, they were taken. Because it was crowded, my cane and I became an obstacle in the walkways at times, and people assumed I would be faster or more agile than I am. Even when using a cane, it still requires coordination to keep the cane in step with your walking pace. I am not coordinated, so sometimes I trip over my cane if I am not careful. I did not sit while shopping, except when I was in the makeup store looking at skin care products. That much walking compared to my painfully small number of average steps a day, along with trying on clothes in multiple stores, led to me having little energy and ending my friend hangout earlier than I planned.

4: Food accessibility

I am currently following a gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, low-sugar, and inflammatory preservative- free diet. As such, I can maybe eat rice and chicken when I go out unless something is specified as not containing any of those ingredients. I am not really eating out right now, so I am not eating at mall food courts or restaurants. Great way to save money, but it is a bummer not being able to grab a meal with friends while out. I did pack a snack of rice crackers and almond butter, because I have been so unbelievably hungry over the past week that I know I need to eat every few hours. I am so eager to go back to how I looked before this flare, but I think that will take a long time.

5: Accessibility access

I didn't see a way to rent wheelchairs at the mall, free or paid. The directories are digital, and I did not see a way for braille or spoken directions for blind visitors. While I'm sure there is a way to find accessibility services for the mall online, they aren't clearly offered to visitors who wander in. This places the burden of accessibility on disabled patrons who want to visit the mall, instead of the mall managers and individual stores. This leads back to my work on spoon theory, which already points out that disabled people have less energy due to their disability symptoms. As someone with less energy, I really had to plan for this trip and save energy. While I am not ranking the mall's accessibility, its accessibility advertisements get a 0.

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Overall, I realized that the spaces I am so used to accessing change when my accessibility needs change. I didn't think about most of these categories until I became so weak that I needed to be mindful of how much walking I do, how I shop, and how much time I spend before deciding I don't have enough energy and going home. As I gain more strength and weight to get back to baseline, I will record that journey as relevant to this blog, but this mall experience documents my first bit of progress now that I can sit up for extended periods and concentrate on tasks.

Thank you for reading about my experience with accessibility at the mall as someone whose accessibility needs have greatly changed in a short period of time. If you have any questions or comments, please comment on the blog, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook, or email me at Anniekrollblog@gmail.com. I hope to see you next week!