Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: sad
  • Music: Glee, "Juke Box Hero."

On empathy.

To the woman who made nasty comments about my "turning radius" when I had to move my electric scooter in front of Big Thunder Mountain; to the person who let their children sit on the ground with their hands pressed against my wheels, and scowled when I said this wasn't safe; to the people who stood on curb cuts and glared when asked, politely, if they would let me pass; to the man who snickered and murmured about lazy bitches when I drove by at Typhoon Lagoon; to everyone who sighed and rolled their eyes when a bus had to be lowered to load me on:

I do not wish you my experience. I do not wish you injury or handicap, however temporary. I do not wish you pain. I do not wish you the soul-bruising frustration of being limited by a body that refuses to listen to your commands, or the salt in the wound that is knowing you did nothing to deserve this: that you didn't injure yourself running a marathon or rock-climbing, but instead fell prey to something that can strike anyone, at any time, for any reason. I do not wish you years spent sedentary, watching your friends rush by able-bodied and healthy, and struggling not to resent them for it.

Instead, I wish you empathy.

I wish for a future where you can look at someone using an assistance device, whether it be a cane, a wheelchair, or a motorized scooter, and think "isn't it wonderful how we live in a world where this person can have the same experiences I do."

I wish for a time where you can see someone using a motorized scooter to enjoy something as large as Disney World and think "isn't that person kind, to spare their friends and family the effort of pushing a manual wheelchair around this huge place, just so that they don't have to experience the nerve-racking stress of navigating something so large and potentially dangerous through a crowd."

I wish for a society where you can listen to simple, necessary requests and hear, not an inconvenience, but a leveling out of a certain small imbalance in the world.

I wish for a place where you can see a wheelchair user sitting to watch a parade and not think "great, let's stand in front of them, that's open space," but instead "isn't it lovely how we can all get a good view."

I am not asking for special privileges. I am not asking to go to the head of the line just because my left foot doesn't work sometimes.

All I am asking is to be allowed, unjudged and unresented, to join the line at all.

Thank you.
Tags: cranky blonde is cranky, depression, disney girl, medical fu
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  • 109 comments

jslinder

May 17 2015, 21:31:54 UTC 2 years ago

I file this under bad apples spoiling for the entire bunch (and let me make it clear I do NOT condone such behavior nor the attitude behind it)

Unfortunately, for years there have been people abusing Disney's disability access program. That got a lot of press. And now many people feel, wrongly, that people in scooters are 'faking it' to get in line. I've personally observed such a few times. So I have to admit, when I see scooters, I do wonder at times ...for a moment.. and then I proceed as if they really need one. Which is the right response no matter what, because there is no visual definitive way to determine who needs assistance and who doesn't and either way people should be treated with respect unless they demonstrate otherwise.

This abuse has resulted in new policies, btw, that nobody likes (so I guess they are probably right)

And I give you credit for not trying to go to the front of the line.

It's sadly necessary that I file issues like this, as with ones like 'I paid for this vacation, so I better well be able to....' and others, as 'crap that has to be tolerated because many of my fellow humans do not know how to play with others'.

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2015, 15:01:29 UTC 2 years ago

Unfortunately, having spoken at length with people involved in doing deep research on the abuse, it has been found that...two percent of people were abusing the program. Which is about the same percentage as abuses anything, including SNAP benefits and the carpool lane. Two percent of people will just be assholes, given the slightest opportunity.

What I find interesting is how no one complains about, say, the docent program, where I can pay someone to walk me to the front of every line, forever, but "oh no that woman might be using a wheelchair to cut in a line, after spending her whole day in a sea of crotches, BURN HER" is somehow understandable.

(Not mad at you, I just hate humans.)