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September 27, 2022
 The image here shows a blue and white sticker that reads "Accessibility for All" with a blank rectangle where a phone number can be written so those who need help opening a door can call for assistance. There is also an icon with a figure in a wheelchair on the sticker.
Stickers help everyone more easily gain entry
to local businesses and public spaces
A new project of Kitsap County’s Accessible Communities Advisory Committee provides businesses, schools, places of worship, and other public spaces with an easy way to assist people with severe mobility impairments in gaining access to buildings. These organizations are offered a cling film sticker where they can write their phone number then affix to front doors and other points of entry. People with disabilities can call the number to reach someone inside the establishment to request the door be opened for them.
This simple act can have a great impact for people with disabilities and prevents them from having to wait outside – often in inclement weather - for a passerby willing to assist them. The sticker can be placed on an outside window near the front door, or on the door itself.
“As a wheelchair user with brittle bones, I've personally found that one of the big obstacles when getting out into my community independently is a lack of accessible entrances,” said Kristie Gronberg, who brought the project to the attention of the Accessible Communities Advisory Committee, which she served on. “It's often a struggle, and even unsafe, for me to attempt to open inaccessible doors myself and there isn't always someone nearby I can ask for help. The stickers are intended to make businesses' contact info. readily available for anyone who needs to request access or accommodations. It's a small step towards accessibility, but I hope it helps and that it makes local businesses more aware of their underserved customers.”
Imagine not being able to open the door to a favorite coffee shop, in the pouring rain, waiting until someone notices and is willing to open the door. Even with the use of electronic door openers, people who are paralyzed, have muscle weakness caused by diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or congenital conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, may need added assistance. Those with significant disabilities are highly likely to have a cell phone, as the technology enables independence that is otherwise elusive.
As Kitsap County strives towards making communities more inclusive, everyone who has buildings accessed by the public is asked to participate in this project and be part of making Kitsap more welcoming. Thank you to Kitsap chambers of commerce who partnered with the Accessible Communities Advisory Committee to help distribute the stickers.
Need a sticker?
Contact your local chamber of commerce. Here is a list of Kitsap chambers of commerce with links to their websites.
To learn more about the Accessible Communities Advisory Committee, how to join, and find information on other projects that make our public spaces more accessible, visit the committee’s website.
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