Growing up in a large Italian family, we learned how to play cards at a very young age. Most of the time we used to play for pennies or candy. By the time we hit legal gambling age, however, we would be fully ready to face the casino head on. One of my family pastimes every few months is to go to Twin River Casino in Lincoln Rhode Island. Over the years as I have gotten older, I realized that there are certain aspects of the casino that could be made more adaptable. I figured since I have fun there every few months, other people with disabilities would too. My dad happens to know the lead host, Lori, very well so she agreed to meet with me on May 6th in order to discuss the extra needs of wheelchair using patrons. For example, for the longest time I would only play slot machines that were on the end of a row, as those were the only ones that I could reach the buttons, because the chairs were not removable. One suggestion was, over time. I found out that you could have the slot technician unscrew and remove a chair for you if you only asked. I made the suggestion to Lori, although this was a great idea for adaptation because we could play whatever slot machine we wanted. I suggested that she and the team find a better way to advertise this as an acceptable option for players with disabilities. I made have not won that day, and I clearly did not break the bank, but one thing I did do was hit the jackpot for disability advocacy.
Until next time, Advocate, Educate, and Empower
