Category: General Venue |
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Site: |
Panera Bread |
Contact: |
Regional Manager, (518) 377-9808 |
Address: |
412 Balltown Road Niskayuna, NY 12309 |
Email: |
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Web Site: |
http://www.panerabread.com/locations.aspx |
Parking: |
 Two (2) accessible spaces with 8’ access aisles in front of the building. |
Entrance: |
Fully accessible with wide entrance doors and loop style handles. When you exit there are no handles on the other side of the entrance door so you may have to push the door with your chair or hand. No ramp at the door, the entrance is level. The doors are not too heavy, but automatic openers would be helpful. |
Interior: |
All areas are accessible, all on one floor. All chairs and tables are easily movable and accessible. Only 40% of their seating is booths and they intend to keep it that way. Booths are partially accessible. Plenty of isle space between the tables. |
Rest Room: |
Restrooms have one accessible stall each, total two stalls. Swing in doors but there is still enough room to maneuver even with a powerchair. Baby changing table folded up on the side in the Women’s bathroom. |
Other: |
 F PT No raised text or Braille signs, however Braille menus are planned for the future. There's no drinking fountain, although water is available at the counter free of charge. The Niskayuna Commons is on the public transit route.
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Description: |
The Panera Bread chain built their first store in Niskayuna in the Niskayuna Commons in 2004. It’s a very popular eatery and I highly recommend it to everyone since it’s very wheelchair friendly. Possible improvements include: establish Braille menus and proper signage for people with visual impairment, and also build in devices for the hearing impaired. Overall, with a few exceptions, the whole venue is more or less completely accessible. An interesting additional feature: Panera Bread bakery-cafes offer free Wi-Fi high-speed internet access, for those who want to “stay connected”. |
User Comments: |
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