Does a 1/1 Rating mean it's wheelchair accessible?

[+The VanDucks]

We just placed a new cache; it's next to a paved sidewalk in a shopping center, but a cacher confined to a wheelchair would probably have trouble reaching it. The local reviewer sent us a note saying that a 1/1 rating means it can be done by someone in a wheelchair. I thought the Attributes were what to use if a cache is wheelchair accessible. If we rate our cache as a 1 1/2, that seems to imply it's not on level ground, which would be incorrect. Suggestions or comments?

[+ecanderson]

We just placed a new cache; it's next to a paved sidewalk in a shopping center, but a cacher confined to a wheelchair would probably have trouble reaching it. The local reviewer sent us a note saying that a 1/1 rating means it can be done by someone in a wheelchair. I thought the Attributes were what to use if a cache is wheelchair accessible. If we rate our cache as a 1 1/2, that seems to imply it's not on level ground, which would be incorrect. Suggestions or comments?

Reviewers more or less universally assume a terrain of 1.0 means wheel chair access, even though there are (apart from Clayjar and similar non-gc sites) NO guidelines for star ratings that I've ever been able to find. Most cachers will assume that a 1.5 terrain is either on pavement or something pretty doggone flat. Seems to be the way it's done.

[knowschad]

a 1 terrain rating is generally accepted to indicate a cache that can be found and retrieved from a wheelchair without assistance. It is not universally enforced, but it is desirable to try to attain consistancy.

 

 

The "D" part of the equation is irrelevant when it comes to wheelchair accessibility.

Edited September 23, 2009 by knowschad

[+gpsfun]

A terrain rating of one star indicates that the path to the cache location is flat, smooth and perhaps paved. Period.

 

Once at the location, the placement of the cache may require standing, reaching, bending, crawling under a bench or other forms of mobility for retrieval. It is a good practice to include either the wheelchair accessible or not wheelchair accessible attribute to further clarify the placement. Since persons using wheelchairs have various levels of mobility this is helpful but still imperfect.