Jeremy Freedman, a disabled man, is unable to attend his first AA meeting and admit he is powerless over alcohol because there is a more immediate thing he is powerless over: the first step.
The meeting was scheduled for Tuesday morning in the basement of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Glenview, IL. Freedman, a permanent wheelchair user who had long contemplated joining the AA program, arrived to find there was neither a ramp nor elevator to allow him access to the meeting, just a flight of stairs.
“More like, ‘Our Lady of Perpetual Helplessness,’” sighed a dejected Freedman.
He traveled over two miles down Lake Ave to a more accessible venue: Meier’s Tavern. There, he spent his remaining $47 on DABs and Stiegls [beer], recounting stories from his able-bodied days as the third-string defensive back on a 4-8 high school football team at nearby Loyola Academy. By 2 p.m., he was joined by two of his former physical education teachers – who had decided to call out sick the rest of the day. They treated Freedman to rounds until he could no longer remember where he was, then ordered him an accessible Lyft ride home.
Freedman swears he remains committed to his goal of sobriety, but emphasizes that accessibility is not a selective concept carved out for bars, strip clubs, cigar lounges and casinos. Disabled people who want to go to school, seek health care or join AA need accessibility too – and should not be left behind by lack of accommodations. He has started a campaign to make this meeting accessible and next month will host a fundraiser at Meier’s to install a stairlift for wheelchair users at OLPH. All who make a donation will get $2 DABs for the rest of the day.