The Gimp Goes Shopping is the creation of Indianapolis writer/activist/minister Richard Propes, a lifelong paraplegic born with spina bifida and also a double, below knee amputee whose primary mode of mobility is by wheelchair.
A nationally recognized social justice activist with a particular interest in peacemaking, family violence and disability advocacy issues, Propes has created The Gimp Goes Shopping as a personal response to the emotional, intellectual and physical barriers that society often creates that keeps individuals with mental, physical and cognitive disabilities from being fully integrated into mainstream society.
Propes is the founder and Executive Director of Compassion Street, and has traveled over 3,000 miles by wheelchair since 1989 while donating over a quarter of a million dollars to children’s organizations worldwide through his annual Tenderness Tours. Along the way, he’s experienced the best and worst society has to offer in terms of attitudes and access.
The Gimp Goes Shopping is a journalistic endeavor, as much dedicated to Propes’ own personal experiences as it is to a defined customer service rating system. However, along the way The Gimp Goes Shopping will be evaluating businesses, professionals, restaurants, etc. in the following areas on a 5-Star scale:
- Accessibility: Can I get in the door? Can I be served? Are YOU accessible to ME? Issues to consider range from “Can I function independently in this setting?” to “Will anyone actually serve me if I do?” Accessibility is not just about the physical plant, but also about attitudes and other obstacles to successfully serving this disabled customer.
- Performance/Reliability: This area includes promptness of service, respectfulness, dignity, knowledge, ethics and, of course, accuracy. This score is not necessarily blown if a mistake is made…how was the mistake responded to?
- Problem-Solving/Conflict Resolution: How are problems addressed? This also includes the adequate addressing of questions/concerns or “special requests.”
- The Intangibles: I would describe these, but I can’t quite put my finger on them.
- Overall Experience: Rating the cumulative experience
[...] The Gimp Goes Shopping is the blog I want to be when I grow up. [...]
Thank you! Much appreciated.
Thank you! Much appreciated.