Slaughter Lane Chiropractic

 I started seeing Dr. David Wagner at Slaughter Lane Chiropractic about 5 years ago when I was unhappy with my previous chiropractor.  I was suffering from a pretty significant head tilt at the time, known as torticollis.  I was also over 100 pounds overweight.  Dr. Wagner was able to fix my head tilt.  Through the office, I was introduced to the Ideal Protein weight loss program.  Once I decided to go on the weight loss program, I lost 100 pounds over the next 18 months and have now kept it off for over 3 years.  Dr. Wagner and his office staff are wonderful.  They are extremely professional, kind, and caring.  The office feels like home.  

Having said that, the purpose of this blog is to review the accessibility of the office.  In that regard, the office has a few issues.  The staff does everything possible to make things as easy for me though.  

Parking:  There is 1 accessible parking spot and the stripped area is on the wrong side for most vans' ramps.  It isn't an issue though because the accessible spot is right next to their back porch and there is a large open area next to the spot so there is plenty of room for my ramp.  Because of this, if there is someone in the accessible spot, I can park in the spot next to it and use the stripped area for my ramp.  There is also a stripped area a few spots down that is used for a walkway that can be used for my ramp. Sometimes parking can still be a problem.  It is a very small parking lot that is not only served by the chiropractor's office but 2 other small businesses.  At times, the parking lot is very full and I've had to park in the grass and deploy my ramp there.  That only happens rarely.

The office is located in an old, converted home.  This comes with a few issues.  There are 2 exam rooms.  Exam room 1 is easily accessible for my wheelchair and I have no problem getting in there.  Exam room 2 is more difficult.  I can't be adjusted in that room for several reasons.  The room is down a narrow hallway and the door is very narrow, so my chair barely fits.  It is also a smaller room, so it is difficult to maneuver in there.  Lastly, the table is just too long for my 5' tall body, but that has nothing to do with accessibility.  The room for the Ideal Protein appointments also has a narrow door.  My chair will fit through it, but I have to go very slow and be very careful so I don't mess up the door.  Since the pandemic started, I haven't needed to go into that room as my Ideal Protein appointments have all been over the phone and my weigh-ins have been done at home via a Bluetooth scale.

Bathroom:  This is the room I have the most problem with.  The bathroom is actually a nice, big accessible bathroom.  There are bars next to the toilet and there is an accessible sink and toilet in there.  However, they ruin all of that by pulling a long, decorative table in there that really serves no purpose except to be a decoration.  When I need to use the bathroom, the staff has to take the table out of the bathroom and move it into the hall.  I've complained about that over and over.  Dr. Wagner told me that his wife, who is in charge of decorations, put that table in there.  She is aware it causes problems and she wants the staff to just take the table out when someone with a wheelchair needs to use it.  She was my first weight loss coach, so as a person, I really like her, but I really dislike that she chooses her decorative aesthetics over the accessibility of their clients.

Back in the treatment room, there are multiple tables for various treatments after adjustments.  There were fewer tables in there when I first started seeing Dr. Wagner.  When his son graduated and joined the practice, they added more tables.  When I need therapy, they have to move a table in order for me to fit into the room.  I have to do the therapy from my chair since the tables don't adjust and I can't transfer onto them when I can't stand.  It isn't difficult to do therapy from my chair though.

If you live in the Austin area and need a chiropractor, I recommend Slaughter Lane Chiropractic despite the accessibility issues with the office.  The staff works very hard to overcome these issues and make things go smoothly for me when I am in the office.