Help making an outdoor wedding handicap accessible

pedlfastr

We are having our wedding at a rustic outdoor campground. Unfortunately, when we planned our small wedding we did not anticipate anyone in a wheelchair. It is important to us that this person attend and be absolutely comfortable. My dilemma is this: the venue is accessible the bathroom is accessible the only this not accessible is the building we are holding the reception in. To get to it, you have to walk down a dirt path that is rocky and slopes slightly downward. We have no idea how we will get a wheelchair down there. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

sister2groom

You just said the only way to get there is down this dirt path. I would suggest looking for a long way round that you could maybe get a 4WD vehicle through. If not, it looks like your only option it to get people to carry this individual. Or maybe bring in a ramp.

SeptemberFall2011

Wheelchairs are pretty strong and sturdy.  (I have alot of experience with them).  Should a ramp not be a viable option.  Have 2-3 people escort this person down.  1 to push 2-3 to guide for safety reasons.  Most wheelchairs have seatbelts so there's the added safety right there. 

Kreskin79

I use a wheelchair myself, so I have some experience in this arena.  That said, some questions:

~ Will this person be using his/her personal chair, or will the wheelchair be a rental?  I ask because rentals tend to be less than sturdy.

~ Will the wheelchair be motorized or manual? 

If it's a manual chair, a certain degree of safety can be achieved simply by going slowly;  speed can lead to accidents - particularly on rocky terrain.  If the front wheels keep getting stuck anyway, bring the person down in reverse.  As a PP said, have spotters around as well.

I'd say that carrying said person should be an absolute last resort.  If you think it'll be the only option, discuss it with the guest beforehand so there are no unpleasant surprises.

Good luck planning!

dhcp2011

You could look into renting a golf cart and have someone drive this person down.  My ceremony site is at the bottom of a hill and my dad is disabled, so we've got a friend who's loaning us a golf cart for the wedding so that my Dad can get TO the isle to walk me down. Hth!

Kreskin79

The PPs who mentioned the possibilities of using a 4WD vehicle or a golf cart make excellent suggestions, with a caveat: Unless the wheelchair user can get out of the wheelchair under his/her own power and step up into/down from a vehicle, the vehicles will be more trouble than help.  In my experience, climbing into an SUV-llike vehicle is easier imagined than accomplished.