Explore Your Backyard

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, March 28, 2025)

Exploring our own backyard.

Recently I finally had free time, good weather, and no snow barriers to go visit two new buildings in Two Harbors.

First, I stopped at Lagom, a boutique women’s clothing store with local art and unique Northshore gifts. The on-street parking worked for my van by using the spot with the cement pad in the boulevard. I did have to turn the kneeler function of my van off so my ramp would land on the cement pad as these are older style curbs. There is a wonderful ramped sidewalk that I needed a boost to get up and we were met with a smile and the employee opening the door for us. It provided a warm and cozy feeling to shop in or to sit in front of their fun fireplace area, too. Their bathroom is very Jenna-friendly with lots of room to turn around in, bars by the toilet, most amenities by the sink are within reach for me and there is a full length mirror for everyone to use. I also looked outside to their back patio which will be amazing to use in the summer and fall. I was also told there is a nice loft or studio type AirBnB rental upstairs with another very nice bathroom and shower. It was fun finding some future gifts for friends here and I look forward to coming back.

Second, I stopped at the new Breakwall Bottleshop. The parking lot has two van accessible parking spots by the door. The front door is an automatic sliding door. Near the front are gender specific restrooms with the women’s having two stalls- one that is a wheel in with nice bars and space and the other that is a walk in with bars as well. (Nicely done!) I really appreciate this style so folks that need the bars for a boost up can have their needs met without taking the larger accessible stall which is the only type that I can use as a manual wheelchair user. Also the child changing table is not in the accessible stall and there is a child seat in the accessible stall so adults and children can be safer in these spaces. The only way to dry hands is air dryers, so just be prepared if this is a sensory concern for you or your people. I assume the men’s restroom has a similar layout. The bottle shop itself is very inviting with its open floor plan and lots of space in the aisles. They are so nice I was able to pass by a distributor who was stocking the shelves and neither of us had to move. Most of the shelves are reachable from a variety of heights and there are a variety of coolers and displays. The sales counter looked to be pretty accessible with lower counters all around, however I do not remember seeing if someone can wheel under the sales area or if it has to be a side pull-up situation.

The week before this adventure I was invited to a game day at my friend’s church, Our Saviour’s in Castle Danger. They have a new lift that makes their small church internally accessible to both floors. They have accessible parking at both the upper and lower parking lots. The upper lot has a nice sidewalk with a curve and incline to get to the main doors while the basement door has a little threshold ramp to get in the basement entryway. The lift has an automatic door once you press the call button. When inside, one must press down the button for the direction they want the lift to go and when you arrive at your destination the lift has its automatic power door. This is a great addition to this very nice church building and is a great asset to the community and church body.

These two new buildings and one renovation make our town and region more welcoming for the locals and visitors. Thanks for investing in our communities and for keeping accessibility at the top of the priorities.

Food for thought: So many spaces do not have power doors to lead to their restrooms. My next area of research is how can we make these accommodations less expensive because the lack of power buttons to internal spaces is now the most common barrier for people to be independent and safe once we get inside a space. I look forward to future engineers and contractors working with disabled folks to make this a cheaper and widespread reality very soon.