I have a real concern with so-called handicapped facilities. My 84-year-old mother had her leg amputated about 15 months ago and now uses a wheelchair. And wow, what an education it's been learning what handicap-friendly means.

For example, the so-called handicapped bathrooms are a joke. Just opening the door to the cubicle is next to impossible. Try wheeling yourself and opening a door at the same time.

Many department stores have automatic doors that open on their own, and that is great. However, there are some stores where you must push a button in order for the door to open automatically. Well, some of these buttons are in the same spot where the store stacks its shopping carts, chairs, etc. So just getting to the button is a chore in itself.

Several facilities have a vanity under bathroom sinks; how can a person in a wheelchair wheel close enough to the sink to wash his or her hands? In many public bathrooms, the soap dispenser and paper towels are up too high.

All bathrooms for the disabled should have grab bars by the toilet, not just be larger.

Store checkout counters and even banks should have much lower counters, even if it means having a special line just for customers in wheelchairs.

We even have a store in town where the door is not wide enough to get our wheelchair through.

We have lots and lots of people in Venice who use wheelchairs or walkers, yet Venice is not a handicapped-friendly city.

I think every builder/contractor should go around in a wheelchair and experience what it is like.

I am very surprised that many of our public buildings apparently pass the disabilities-law inspection.

Carol Long

Venice