Not Actually Accessible

The medical model – the idea that a person has a disability – is the dominant notion in our society. It’s the idea that a person is prevented from functioning in our society by their body or brain and it’s just that person’s tough luck. If they can’t blend into this world, it’s not the world’s problem.

The social model is the way I prefer to view the world. It’s the idea that a person with an impairment or illness is disabled by the society we live in because of all the barriers that are put in our way.”

Lisa Egan, “I’m Not A “Person With a Disability”: I’m a Disabled Person.” 

I got on the train with my cane and asked a lady to move her bag- HER BAG-and she wouldn’t even look at me or acknowledge me.

Sometimes I really hate being Disabled In Public. Like…. there’s a definitive difference between being disabled and in public and Disabled In Public, and it’s hard to articulate to people who don’t have to experience this phenomenon. Like, yesterday I was at the airport, flying home for summer break. I’m sitting in my wheelchair at the gate, waiting to pre-board, and the gate check woman comes up to me, bends down and puts her hands on her knees, and says, “Gosh! You’re so independent!” I’m 23 years old, I live on my own across the country, and I’m a fucking adult out in public. Yes. I’m independent. How kind of you to notice.

And this happens all the time! I’m fine with people complementing my canes, or the flowers on my chair in passing, but coming up to me, speaking down to me, infantilizing me…. it’s all part of being Disabled In Public. The second I’m out in public I become some sort of attraction to able bodied people. Walking (or rolling) clickbait. And none of my able-bodied friends or family quite understand why I get so frustrated, or why I snap at people. I was at the mall with my dad yesterday, in my wheelchair, and at least three people stopped me to complement my wheelchair. Which is fine. Except for the third woman, who said in some sort of weird baby talk, “Aw, who did that for you? That was so nice of them!” Uh…. I did that myself. Because, again, I am an adult.

And after this my dad goes, “Gosh, does this happen all the time? It must be so annoying…” to which I’m about to be delighted, before he continues, “…but you’re kind of asking for it by decorating your chair.”

No, I’m not asking for it. I’m accessorizing. People don’t stop everyone else on the street to infantilize them for their accessories. It only happens when you’re Disabled In Public.

So yesterday whenever someone took out their phone and started taking pictures of me or my friend’s service dogs I took a picture of that person.

I made it very obvious that is what I was doing.

And most of them got offended. Because I was invading their privacy and being rude.

There was a lesson to be learned there, but I don’t think most of them got it. This is a mere 1/3 of the pictures I took. In one day.

This is what service dog handlers deal with. Imagine being someone with paranoia/psychosis and having strangers constantly stop and take pictures of you/your friends. It’s bad.

People- Do not take pictures of service dogs without permission. It’s rude and invasive.

Handlers, if someone does feel free to take a picture of them. Use a flash. Make it obvious. Maybe they’ll get the point.

I had 4 people (not shown) apologize and get the point yesterday. I talked to them about it. And I deleted my picture of them. They deleted their picture of me. That’s 4 more educated people out there.

when I was at the doctor today, checking in, there was a person in a wheelchair who came up to the counter and told the receptionists that they needed help because someone had parked in the crossed lines that are between handicap parking spots and they couldn’t get into their car now.

guys.

those spots are SPECIFICALLY so people in wheelchairs can get in and out of their cars, they are not for parking.  I don’t care how short of a time it will be. you don’t get to park there.  I’m not sure what the resolution ended up being, and it seemed like the staff weren’t sure what to do to resolve it, but when I came down again after my appointment the person was gone.

but whoever did that basically stranded this person at the dr’s office until something could be done to move the vehicle that was in the way.

don’t be that asshole.

p.s for anyone confused about what area I am talking about

(img source: http://www.myparkingsign.com/blog/wheelchair-ramps-disabled-parking/handicap-parking-space/)

it’s the white crossed line area.  they may be yellow.  or blue.  or some other color.  doesn’t matter.  don’t park there.  not with a car, not with a van, not with a motorcycle, not a shopping cart.  do not put something in the way of those areas.

Here’s some examples awkward accessibility being a thing:

Your at a hotel that has a lift to get you from one sub-floor to another, but the lift can only be unlocked and operated by one specific person that the hotel now has to go find. Sure, they’ve made the entrance to the sub-floor is accessible, but now it’s a thing.

The buses are wheelchair accessible but the driver has to stop the bus, take 30 seconds to lower the goddamn ramp, move passengers out of their seats, hook up the straps and then secure you in the bus. Sure, they’ve made the busses accessible but now it’s a thing.

The restaurant has an accessible entrance, but it’s past the trash room and through the kitchen. Sure, the restaurant is accessible, but now it’s an insulting thing.

Here’s some great examples of accessibility not being a thing:

The train to the airport pulls up flush with the platform. I board with everyone else and sit wherever the fuck I want. Riding the train is accessible and not a thing.

In Portland, I press a button the side of the streetcar and a ramp automatically extends at the same time the door opens. I board in the same amount of time as everyone else. This is not a thing.

There was a ramp, but it was VERY well camouflaged. And when I did finally get in, there were these awful thick carpets that were next to impossible to wheel over.

Disability advocates arrested during health care protest at McConnell’s office. Thank you for risking your lives #cripplepunk

50+ arrests and counting

I go to use the elevator in a high rise building only to find a sign that says “Please ask security for access to this elevator”. A week ago, that sign wasn’t there. When I ask the security guard why the sudden change in policy, they said that people from other floors in the building had been abusing their access to the elevator and that they needed to lock it down. 

Let me make this perfectly clear: I could no longer independently access the only elevator available to take me to this part of the building because other people decided to use / abuse a space that was not meant for them instead of taking the stairs right next to the fucking elevator.

Here’s another example: In order to have access to an accessible room on a cruise ship, I have to submit a form stating that I do in fact  have a physical disability that prevents me from using a normal state room on the ship. I have to do this because able-bodied people have, in the past, been dishonest about the level of accessibility they require in order to have access to a larger stateroom without having to pay a premium.

How about this one: I go into the restroom of a massive convention center. Every single stall  in this restroom is empty except for the one handicapped stall in the back, which is being occupied by someone who does not need to use a handicapped stall. I now have to wait for that one person to exit the stall before I can use the restroom. Remember: This bathroom has 7+ other stalls that are built specifically to work for them, but they chose  to use the one space that is available to people like me.

Dear able-bodied people: Handicapped bathroom stalls, seating areas, staterooms, and elevators are not meant for you and you should not use them.

I do not care how big of a hurry you were in and how that elevator got you to where you needed to go faster. Because of you, I have to go find someone every time I need to use this elevator and if I can’t find them I GET NOTHING. 

To you, that cruise ship can house 2000+ people and you have an opportunity to get a massive stateroom at no extra cost if you’re wiling to fib a little. To me, that cruise ship has a capacity of around 12 (the number of accessible rooms on the ship) and if they’re all full, I GET NOTHING.

To you, that movie theater has four really great seats right in the middle that just happen to have a handicapped accessible sign on them. To me, that theater has four seats and if they’re all full, I GET NOTHING.

And let me address the bathroom thing in particular. I don’t give a flying fuck if the handicapped stall was the only one available. You should pretend like it doesn’t fucking exist and wait in line like everyone else. *

Don’t take up spaces that were not meant for you. Because everything but those few precious spaces were not meant for us. 

[Photo of the Museo de Andalucía’s white spiral ramp with an open roof in the centre. Original Image by: EstudioACB. Attribute: By EstudioACB (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.]

JUST LOOK

[Photo of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s wooden ramp that twists and turns in the entrance of the building. Original Image by: David Sky. Attribute: Art Gallery of Ontario David Sky’s daily image log around Toronto, Pinterest.]

HOW FREAKING

[Photo of the Planalto do Planalto entrance ramp that arcs smoothly upward to the second level, and just a thin black railing. Original Image by: Agência Brasil. Attribute: By Agência Brasil - EBCl [CC BY 3.0 br], via Wikimedia Commons.]

AESTHETICALLY PLEASING

[Photo of the Solomon R Guggenheim Museums’ floor levels, that is connected by one continuous ramp that wraps around the entire building. Original Image by: Evan-Amos. Attribute: By Evan-Amos (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.]

RAMPS ARE.

[Photo of a section of the Museo de Soumaya, with a low arched ramp that goes up the side of this room to the upper level. Original Image by: Daniel Case. Attribute: By Daniel Case (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.]