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Wheelchair accessible retreats in the US?

RounderRounder
edited June 2010 in Buddhism Basics
Hello! I would like to attend my first retreat this year. I use a wheelchair due to paraplegia. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am mostly interested in a Zen meditation retreat because I'm most familiar with Zen, but I am open to any suggestions. I am completely independent as long as there are no stairs or narrow doorways. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Comments

  • not1not2not1not2 Veteran
    edited June 2010
    My advice would be to check this link and call around to ask:

    http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/province.php?province_id=44
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    edited June 2010
    My thought would be that at whatever retreat center you would go to, no one would leave you outside the retreat center because of this. You might find people willing to carry you and your wheelchair past any obstacles, and that they would consider it a blessing to do so.

    As far as I know, there are retreat centers in Ann Arbor, and a very nice new Tibetan temple and library near Madison, Wisconsin. A quick Google search should help you find an appropriate place.
  • patbbpatbb Veteran
    edited June 2010
    SherabDorje wrote: »
    My thought would be that at whatever retreat center you would go to, no one would leave you outside the retreat center because of this. You might find people willing to carry you and your wheelchair past any obstacles, and that they would consider it a blessing to do so.
    yup,

    this is what happened last time i went to a retreat.

    There were a guy in a wheel chair and one of the old student was taking care of him for the whole period.

    but, the center did have a special shower and toilet to accommodate wheel chairs.

    My guess is that most of the centers must have these facilities but you should just call and make sure.
  • RounderRounder
    edited June 2010
    patbb wrote: »
    yup,

    this is what happened last time i went to a retreat.

    There were a guy in a wheel chair and one of the old student was taking care of him for the whole period.

    When you say taking care of him, what did you see him doing?
  • patbbpatbb Veteran
    edited June 2010
    Rounder wrote: »
    When you say taking care of him, what did you see him doing?
    help him dress up, undress, push him from the room to the meditation hall and back, take him to the kitchen to eat, fill the plates of food for him, tea and everything etc...
    I don't know if he help him with bathing and washroom tho... This guy could use his upper body so i don't know if he needed the help.

    you should just call and ask.

    edit: btw since the path between the different buildings were all small rocks and no pavement, he got 2 flat tires real quick.
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    edited June 2010
    patbb wrote: »
    help him dress up, undress, push him from the room to the meditation hall and back, take him to the kitchen to eat, fill the plates of food for him, tea and everything etc...

    That's what I did for my first job. It helped lead me to Buddhism. Good practice. I suspect others at a retreat would see it the same way.
  • RounderRounder
    edited June 2010
    SherabDorje wrote: »
    That's what I did for my first job. It helped lead me to Buddhism. Good practice. I suspect others at a retreat would see it the same way.

    That's encouraging but I don't really want to be anyone's practice. I'd want to be regarded as just another retreat-goer. This is why I'm hoping to find a facility that is fully accessible, so I can practice alongside others without being a focus or concern for them, even though assisting a disabled person might be good practice.
    patbb wrote: »
    help him dress up, undress, push him from the room to the meditation hall and back, take him to the kitchen to eat, fill the plates of food for him, tea and everything etc...
    I don't know if he help him with bathing and washroom tho... This guy could use his upper body so i don't know if he needed the help.

    Well I'm an independent paraplegic so I shouldn't need help with any of these things, again, if the location is fully accessible.

    Sounds like my best bet is to follow the above advice and make a list of all potential locations, then work my way down the list calling each one. I'll post what I find back here for future reference.
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    edited June 2010
    Rounder wrote: »
    That's encouraging but I don't really want to be anyone's practice. I'd want to be regarded as just another retreat-goer. This is why I'm hoping to find a facility that is fully accessible, so I can practice alongside others without being a focus or concern for them, even though assisting a disabled person might be good practice.

    I didn't intend it to sound anything like that.
  • patbbpatbb Veteran
    edited June 2010
    Rounder wrote: »
    Sounds like my best bet is to follow the above advice and make a list of all potential locations, then work my way down the list calling each one. I'll post what I find back here for future reference.
    don't know if you know this link but here are the Vipassana centers in the USA.

    http://www.dhamma.org/en/bycountry/na/

    Although i couldn't find info about the centers being wheelchair accessible or not, so maybe you can send them all an email.


    good luck :)
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