Treatment of the disabled

[Falkenbach]

Many of you would have been in a state of disability, due to your renal failure or other reasons, and can no doubt relate to this.

I am in my early 30's and have always been reasonably active despite a number of conditions, and quite able-bodied. As some of you know, I recently had my kidney transplant (about 2.5 weeks ago).

To tell you what this discussion is all about, I will copy here a letter I have just written to my local paper:

I am a young, normally able-bodied woman. Due to a recent operation, I required the use of a wheelchair for a recent trip to the shopping centre. Boy, did it open my eyes.

In the shops, people would see us coming, and continue to stand in the middle of the aisles. My husband was repeatedly, but politely saying “excuse me” to which we mostly got the following responses: looks of offence, looks of disdain, moving only a few inches (if at all), pretending not to hear us, and even outright ignoring us.

Should you come across a disabled person in the street, and you believe they are being a bit pushy or aggressive with their wheelchairs or walking aids, please do not judge. Just stop for a second to think what they are forced to tolerate on a regular basis – sheer, non-stop arrogance from fit and able-bodied people. They have to get around somehow!  






EDITED: Moved to proper section - Sluff/ Admin

[kitkatz]

And while you are at it STOP staring at my husbands leg!
If you have a question come on over and ask it. Do not stare to the point you are running into something!

[Sluff]

And while you are at it STOP staring at my husbands leg!
If you have a question come on over and ask it. Do not stare to the point you are running into something!

Run for your life...that guy has a fake leg...run!!!    some people are so stupid.

[aharris2]

And while you are at it STOP staring at my husbands leg!
If you have a question come on over and ask it. Do not stare to the point you are running into something!

and how about holding that door open for us? is bad enough i have no leg, and have the other one crippled.... don't make me kick you with it, moron!!!! 

[Falkenbach]

And while you are at it STOP staring at my husbands leg!
If you have a question come on over and ask it. Do not stare to the point you are running into something!

and how about holding that door open for us? is bad enough i have no leg, and have the other one crippled.... don't make me kick you with it, moron!!!! 

lol, I would LOVE to see you do this. I am most definitely NOT making fun of you, but god knows I can imagine how good that would make you feel in some circumstances! 

[thegrammalady]

having a severely disabled child, rights for the disabled is a soap box you all really don't want me to get on. once i start its extremely difficult to shut me up. i once had a woman in tears chase after me at the grocery store to thank me because i had spent time waiting my turn in line talking to her little boy. we laughed and smiled and had a good "conversation" while his parents stood there with their mouths open. my reaction to their son was not what they were used to. as i left i smiled at them and said "he's sure cute, i have one just like him at home" brooklyn chased me down in tears, because she just couldn't believe someone would be so nice to her son. i'm very lucky, no one has ever been mean to kevin, but then i've always been very open with everyone about him, if you stare, i'll start telling you everything about him. you should have just asked in the first place. i'm lucky, the government may consider me disabled, but i don't look it to the general public. but just bring up the subject of kidneys and you'll get an ear full.

[Falkenbach]

lol, good for you grammalady, I think you have the right attitude. And let's face it, we all have our "soap box" subjects (don't get me started on breed specific dog legislation, for example) so there's nothing wrong with that.

[Bajanne]

Cycobully, I only just noticed your caption.  The main hospital in Barbados is also called Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH, we say), and there is where I will be having my dialysis if I go back home to live.

[Romona]

I work at a facility for adults with mental and physical disabilities. I also have a family member with disabilities. People can be cruel and heartless. I consider myself blessed to have these people in my life. Some of the greatest lessons I have learned have come from people that can not say a single word. 

[Falkenbach]

Cycobully, I only just noticed your caption.  The main hospital in Barbados is also called Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH, we say), and there is where I will be having my dialysis if I go back home to live.

What a coincidence! We also call ours the QEH, or sometimes TQEH. We often also just say "the Queen Liz".

[kristina]

 

Should you come across a disabled person in the street, and you believe they are being a bit pushy or aggressive with their wheelchairs or walking aids, please do not judge. Just stop for a second to think what they are forced to tolerate on a regular basis – sheer, non-stop arrogance from fit and able-bodied people. They have to get around somehow!   

I wish I would come across a disbled person in the street more often! Unfortunately it is made very difficult for disabled persons to use publid facilities etc., and most of them are forced to stay in the house as a result of this discrimination. My eyes were opened on two occasions when I had to use a wheelchair: the first time my leg was in plaster and I was too weak to use crutches and used a wheelchair instead, the second time after suffering a CVA-stroke which left me paralyzed on my right side for a long while. Whilst using a wheelchair my life was made hell whenever I tried to be outside my home: people would stare at me, walk into me without considering me, and when some strangers spoke to me they spoke to me as if my "grey cells" were in the wheelchair as well: they obviously assumed I was incapable to understand a word of what they were saying! Even employees at "Disability-Departments" treated me as if I was unable to speak, read or write and they shouted at me. This astonished me because I had hoped they would have had a special training to treat vulnerable, fragile people in a more respectful manner! -  After suffering a CVA-stroke I worked so very hard on my rehabilitation just to get out of the wheelchair again to have a chance and be treated like a human being again. I was fortunate and succeeded and my heart goes out to all people in a wheelchair. I wish something could be done to assist them. Here it is life-dangerous to go out in a wheelchair, everywhere there are stairs, little stairs, not being noticed by able-bodied people, but dangerous enough for a wheelchair-user's balance! I wish I had more energy to campaign for wheelchair-users to be considered as human beings with certain needs, the next time pedestrian-walks etc. are re-constructed again! I have mentioned it so many times, I have also complained at my local authorities, but no one has listened yet. I wonder why?

[Falkenbach]

I guess because it just doesn't affect the people doing the planning. 

It is not an experience I would wish to repeat, and I was only in that wheelchair for all of an hour or two! I continued to have trouble for about 18 months with severe joint pain caused by my medications and hyperparathyroidism, and trying to catch buses for work etc was a nightmare. I would be within two steps of the bus stop, waving at the driver who was just getting ready to pull out - they would make eye contact with me and still drive away! Imbeciles! The Dept of Transport wouldn't give me a disability parking permit either, so when I went to the shops I had to park miles away and limp into the shopping centre, while lazy, able-bodied people hogged car parks near the doors.

Oh god, I am so glad to be back to virtual normal.