he Baron's Foot

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

One early morning, while the Baron was horseback riding with his fiancée Lady Angela of Alpine Castle, they stopped to rest the horses next to beautiful Castle Lake. As he dismounted, the Baron caught his foot between two rocks and fell down. He told Lady Angela that he heard something snap as he was falling.

Lady Angela helped the Baron back on his horse, Ridgeway, and they slowly and carefully rode back to Lilliland Castle. A physician was called in immediately and he told the Baron the bad news - he broke a bone in his foot and it would take about six weeks for it to mend. He would have to get around in a wheel chair for a few weeks and later with a cane until the foot was fully healed.

The Baron's schedule of royal duties had to be greatly altered to accommodate his lack of mobility. He was a very energetic man who liked to move about the castle and in town with ease. This accident gave the Baron a chance to reflect on the plight of others who could not get around easily due to advancing age or illnesses that caused difficulties in getting around.

The Baron ordered wheelchair ramps installed all around the castle and on the walkways on the castle grounds. He was then able to get from place to place more easily. After two weeks in the wheelchair he ordered that all public buildings and parks be equipped with wheelchair accommodations.

Later the physician indicated that he could move out of the wheelchair and move around cautiously with the help of a cane. The Baron ordered handrails on all steps in the castle and on steps on the walkways around the castle grounds. With the use of the cane and handrails he felt much safer and more confident about getting around. In fact, he liked the handrails so much that he ordered that all the public buildings in Lilliland have handrails installed. He also had non-skid surfaces applied to certain walkways in parks and other public areas in the city.

Letters from the citizens of Lilliland thanked the Baron for installing the ramps, safety rails and other thoughtful items that made it easier for everyone to get around. They did mention an additional concern that when the Baron was fully recovered would the ramps and safety rails be removed?

The Baron said all the ramps and rails were permanent. Everyone in Lilliland liked that.