Rating American restaurants for accessibility is no small task. It's going to take a lot of work from the people who know how important this information is and who have a passion for letting others benefit from their accessibility experiences.

And with that passion, will come different opinions on the question: "what is accessibility?" We know that- just like we have different opinions about quality restaurant food- opinions about a positive experience with accessibility will vary.

Below are some tips and guidelines about reviewing and rating restaurants for accessibility.

TIP # 1: No special credentials are required to do an accessibility review.

You don't need special credentials to review a restaurant. All it takes is your concern, your passion and your opinion.

TIP # 2: You don't have to eat at the restaurant in order to review it.

Simply go in and ask for a business card, look around inside, ask to use the restroom, and ask questions about whether they have Braille Menus and Large Font Menus and anyone on staff who can sign language interpret. That will give you enough information to evaluate the restaurant.

TIP # 3: The main question to consider as you rate restaurants for accessibility is: would you recommend this destination to a friend? If so, how highly?

For your Overall Rating, you can select from one of five ratings: No Access, Poor Access, OK Access, Good Access, or WOW! Access.

Before submitting your Overall Accessibility Rating, think about whether you would recommend this restaurant to a room filled with thousands of people with disabilities because this is exactly what the Internet is allowing you to do. Also ask yourself if you would recommend this restaurant to people with varying disabilities- possibly different from my own.

TIP # 4: If you prefer to save yourself a trip, call the restaurant first.

Ask if they have an accessible entrance. If their answer is no, your form is already filled out. Rate it NO ACCESS. Also, ask if they have Braille Menus, Large Font Menus, and if there is any member permanently on staff who knows Sign Language Interpreting. Sign Language Interpreting is not a common service at restaurants but it is important to ask the question.

TIP # 5: Getting there/Parking

Give higher ratings to restaurants that:
• Are easy to get to or are within close proximity to public transportation.
• Have disabled-person only spots

Give lower ratings to restaurants that:
• Have no disability accessible spots unless the restaurant is near a subway stop. If that's the case, give a lower-than-average rating.

The farther away the disabled-person only spots are from the restaurant, the lower the rating.

Curb-cuts should be near each disabled-person only spot, if not, lower your rating accordingly.

Tip # 6: Getting Inside: Entrance

Give higher ratings to restaurants that:
•Allow you to come through the front door, particularly those with automatic doors and wide doorways.

Give lower ratings to restaurants that:
•Require you to use a kitchen, side door or other inconvenient entrances.
•Have entrances with sharp turns, such as storm doors, making it difficult to maneuver wheelchairs into entranceways.

Give a NO ACCESS rating if:
• Stairs are the only option in getting into the restaurant.

Tip # 7: Getting Around Inside

People with mobility devices such as wheelchairs, carts, and walkers should be able to maneuver wheelchairs easily between tables so that they aren't forced to interrupt fellow diners on their way to the table.

Accessible tables should be the rule rather than the exception.

High bar stool seating, unmoveable bench seating, and unreachable seating due to split levels should all be considered inaccessible for someone with a mobility device.

Give higher ratings to restaurants that:
•Have ample space in between tables and chairs, making it easy to get from one place to another. Allow for ease of maneuverability between tables.
•Have all or the majority of tables with wheelchair accessible seating
•Have wooden, cement or tiled flooring.

Give lower ratings to restaurants that:
• The only place for a wheel chair is at the end of the table, and in the way of the waitress and traffic flow.

Give a "No access" rating if:
•There are only platform or bench tables or
•There are only tables accessible by stairs.

Tip # 8: Using the Bathrooms

Higher ratings should go to restaurants that have at least one large bathroom stall Ñlarge enough so that when you use a wheelchair, you have enough maneuvering room to close the stall door easily.

Highest ratings go to bathrooms with an automatic door.

Give a "No Access" rating if:
•Bathrooms have no accessible stalls (i.e., no grab bars on either side of toilet).
•Bathrooms are too narrow to accommodate a wheelchair.

Tip # 9: Service and Communication

Ask the restaurant staff whether the restaurant has Large Font Menus, Braille Menus, and Sign Language Interpreting. On the WOW! Review Form there is an option for Yes or No to this question.

Tip # 10: Your Overall Rating

There are many things you will consider as you give a restaurant your overall accessibility rating. We all have different disabilities that will effect our opinions. The bottom line question to ask yourself is would you recommend this restaurant to a friend who was disabled? Would you recommend it to a room full of friends who have different disabilities?