POST FALLS — "Pothole! Don't go headfirst," a call from the sideline came as Nicole Lowe made her way through a Wheelchair Obstacle Course developed by Washington State University at White Pine Park.

For two hours, advocates for disability awareness served as wheelchair instructors as residents and city staff tried their hand at navigating non-ADA doors and obstacles, including overhanging shrubbery, pothole rings of varying sizes and cracks in the sidewalk, all replicated with bungee cords. 

The course represents the everyday challenges those with mobility issues face when visiting storefronts and raises awareness of the important ramifications of the ADA. 

Karenann Krueger, the coach with the most experience, said narrow lanes can also pose danger when wheeling into a store when there isn't enough space. 

Krueger is a powerchair user who wants all businesses to consider accessibility for people like her and her husband, who has MS. 

"That's why we're doing this, we're trying to open up people's eyes. As the population grows and gets older, I hope they take it seriously that when they build stuff, that they think of people in our situation in wheelchairs and add accessibility so we don't run into these things," Krueger said. 

She was 19 years old and going to school with dreams of becoming a physical therapist when the deli she worked at had a vehicle crash through the wall. 

"I thought it was an earthquake and the next thing I knew, I was under the car," Krueger said. "They drove the car into the front of the building. Luckily, I had rows of shelves in front of me." 

She was given an ultimatum after more than two years of major medical crises related to the crash. 

"I had gangrene and was in and out of the hospital for about two years, and then they finally said it's time to amputate or plan your funeral. I was 22," Krueger said. 

She now advocates for herself and others regarding accessibility. The obstacle course provides people with an opportunity to roll along on wheels like hers and experience the world she moves through. 

"We're going to have seniors who can't walk a long distance because they have arthritis or hip problems or are on oxygen, they're going to encounter this," Krueger said. "Even people have strollers with babies in it, if we can make it more safe and accessible, that's the key to this community." 

City Engineer Rob Palus said it was the second time he had tried an obstacle course of this kind. 

"It was a real eye-opener," Palus said. "You hit the crack in the sidewalk and your tire spins." 

Last time, he tore his knuckle open, but this time, he was able to complete the course safely.

"It teaches you a lot more to have an appreciation for how someone who is in that position moves around to have to navigate these kinds of obstacles on a daily basis without having someone there to help them out," Palus said. 

From a city planning perspective, it also provides information and context on mobility needs regarding sidewalks and pedestrian ramps.   

"So often, we rely on people calling and saying 'hey, there's a problem here.' It's important there's another way to be aware of those problems," Palus said. "Not everyone's going to call in or send an email." 

On another front in the fight for better accessibility, the Disability Action Center NW, with Krueger, has been trying to raise awareness of the legal rights of people with disabilities to use service dogs in stores. 

DAC Independent Living Advocate Sherri Boelter said their goal is to make the area and Post Falls accessible for everyone, especially as the face of downtown is changing. 

"I hope that they become aware of the barriers people in wheelchairs face each and every single day," Boetler said. "It's not only those who are disabled; more testing would help make things easier for everyone with mobility issues."

    Karenann Krueger angles herself to get up the ramp of a new obstacle course designed to create challenges that mimic those wheelchair users frequently face. Krueger has to counterbalance since she has a double leg amputation in order to safely make her way up the ramp of the Wheelchair Obstacle Course from the Disability Action Center NW. Community members and city staff took part in a disability awareness event Thursday at White Pine Park in Post Falls.
  

    Post Falls City Engineer Rob Palus completes the Wheelchair Obstacle Course to applause by fellow participants and spectators on Thursday. The course was designed by engineering students from Washington State University and brought to White Pine Park by the Disability Action Center NW.