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Woman in wheelchair gets fast service at Outback

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Woman in wheelchair gets fast service at Outback

By JOSEPH BANETH ALLEN, My Mandarin Sun

Sometimes making a single phone call can have a great impact on the lives of many people - in this case, those living in Mandarin and the rest of Jacksonville.

Vicky Duffer Watkins was looking forward to celebrating her retirement from the U.S. Department of Labor with her family last fall. She had been a compliance officer with the labor department office in Jacksonville for six years before retiring because of health concerns from multiple sclerosis.

"Our most popular place to celebrate is the Outback Steakhouse in Mandarin," she said. "And of all the past times we had been there, handicap access had not been a problem."

But now she was using a wheelchair, and a once-easy path to the ladies' room had become an obstacle path almost impossible to traverse.

"Debbie, my sister, turned all the bar stools sideways so that I'd have enough room to maneuver my way to the restroom," she said.

But the interior of the ladies room provided even more challenges for her. While it had a stall with a grab bar, there was no fully accessible stall with a 60-inch radius to allow a person using a wheelchair room to maneuver around in.

Watkins knew she'd have to speak out and take action if she wanted to continue enjoying the experience of eating at her favorite restaurant.

She knew that most businesses don't become handicap accessible simply by patrons wishing it so. She had to be a personal voice for change if she wanted changes to be incorporated into the popular Mandarin restaurant to help other disabled people like herself.

Back at home, she hesitated before picking up the phone to call the Outback regional office in Jacksonville.

"It was rather a scary feeling," she said. "Previously, I had the full backing of our government in ensuring that businesses and other public places complied with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now I was flying solo with no safety net."

Fortunately, Ridge Sink quickly proved her fears ungrounded.

"I was surprised when I first spoke with Mrs. Watkins back in September 2007," said Sink, a joint venture partner of the Mandarin Outback. "I had assumed that since the interior of the Mandarin Outback had been built to the ADA standards back in 1989 that it had met the current standards of the act.

"Turns out I had been mistaken," he said. "After our lawyers researched the issue, we found out that the Mandarin Outback needed a little renovation in order to meet the current ADA standards."

As of November, construction work was completed to make the restaurant and restrooms fully meet ADA standards, Sink said.

Watkins recently presented Sink and Mandarin Outback proprietor Tom Wine with an Accessibility Certificate from the First Coast Disability Advocates to recognize what they had done to make their restaurant fully accessible for people with disabilities.

She is happy that her one phone call was the impetus for positive change that was supported by members of the Mandarin business community.

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