Noah Trembly can be found knocking back shots and chasers with buddies at Tony’s or Jackie O’s on a Friday like any other bargoer. The only difference is the help he might’ve had getting to the bar in the first place.
Trembly, a 38-year-old Athens resident with cerebral palsy, uses a motorized wheelchair, speaks via a technical device and has an aide assist him with day-to-day activities.
“There’s definitely places that we just don’t go to because they aren’t accessible,” Trembly said in an email. “In general, the employees of the places (that) aren’t accessible do try to be accommodating the best they can.”
Tony Sylvester, owner of Tony’s Tavern, 7 W. State St., said his bar features a ramp and separate entrance on the side of the building, though it’s still not technically up to par with what’s required from the Americans with Disabilities Act. Still, his workers and Tony’s customers will often help individuals make their way up to safety.
“You want everybody's life to be as normal as possible,” Sylvester said. “I put a long bar here so that people can belly up to the bar no matter how. With Noah, we just move a chair out and he moves right in and he has a spot at the bar.”
The ramp at Tony’s, which was added a few years ago, is considered too steep by ADA standards, though Sylvester said the ramp would illegally stick out onto the sidewalk if it were totally compliant.
A spot at the bar isn’t the only problem those with disabilities might face in terms of accessibility in Athens.
As a member of the Athens City Commission on Disabilities, Trembly has been able to point out some of those qualms first-hand, and sometimes has gotten to solve them.
Trembly’s work has led to what will be a nearly $45,000 renovation to the Athens City Building in order to install a wheelchair lift into the mayor’s office, according to Athens Mayor Steve Patterson.
Some of the commission’s recent work also has included the creation of a rating system, which Trembly said should encourage other businesses to improve their accessibility.
“By having a ranking system or scoring system it also opens the door for businesses and hopefully for the landlords to improve,” Patterson, who previously served on the commission, said. “It wasn't until I really dove into the work of the disabilities commission (that I started to understand accessibility issues). Your eyes open and up and say ‘Wow, I never looked at things through that lens.’ ”
The rating system is still in the works, but Patterson said he hopes it will be implemented later this spring.
Even with a ratings system, the possibility of including upgrades may be physically or financially impossible for some businesses.
Several uptown stores, such as Souvlaki’s Mediterranean Gardens, 9 W. State St., are in buildings that are grandfathered in and are not mandated to make accessibility upgrades under the ADA.
“Now, if you have a new place you have to have it handicap accessible, but since it’s been here for 41 years it’s been grandfathered in,” Hazim Kader, owner of Souvlaki’s, which has a narrow stairway leading up to its entrance, said. “It hasn't been an issue so far. We have some people who have had (disabilities) and we’ve said, ‘We’ll help you up.’ ”
The requirements for aspects of the ADA, such as ramp dimensions and the width of doors, also can hinder a business’ ability to renovate.
“You’re talking about thousands and thousands of dollars of being able to dig up concrete, doorways, and these buildings aren't equipped to be fixed like that,” Sylvester said.
In lieu of formal construction efforts, some have to rely on the helping spirit of others.
“Most people are pretty accommodating, especially if you talk to them ahead of time,” Trembly's sister, Chandra Trembly, said.
Chandra, who is a bartender at Tony’s, even recalls her brother being lifted to the second floor of The Union, formerly 18 W. Union St., in order for him to attend concerts.
During a fundraiser last November for Keep Noah Rolling, an organization raising money to help Trembly afford a new wheelchair accessible van, Trembly also encountered acts of kindness. At one point he was lifted above a step by two bystanders at the entrance of The Pub, 39 N. Court St.
The fundraising group has raised about $6,000 of its $60,000 goal so far.
“I like Athens so much because there’s not a cultural (nor) social stigma against people with disabilities,” Trembly said in an email. “Every now and then I will have someone come up to me and say I shouldn’t be in a bar drinking but this is very rare.”
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