Contemplating the Mysteries of the World - Part 19: Accessibility
First published: Monday February 27th, 2023
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Okay... This One is Personal
This is absolutely something I should not need to write in 2023. The fact that this is still an ongoing issue to this day says so much about the world that we live in. As with a lot of my blogs, this comes from a very American perspective because that is my life experience, but this will be more pronounced in this particular blog because this is so personal to me.
I have briefly mentioned this on here before, but in case you didn't see that blog, quick recap. I have a chronic, invisible, physical disability. I do not use a wheelchair and, unless I am having a particularly bad day and need joint bracing etc., you cannot tell that I am sick by looking at me. I have issues with chronic pain, joint dislocations/subluxations, dehydration, and joint instability. I will be writing a very informative blog about my condition that will be released at some point in May (awareness month). Lets get on to the ranting...
Our World is Not Designed for the Physically Disabled
The title says it all. The infrastructure that humans have built over the centuries is designed to accommodate the average, able-bodied person (specifically the average man, but that is a topic for another day). For much of history, disabled people were considered dirty, less than, and worthless. It wasn't until incredibly recent that some nations started to implement policy change. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 for example. Later on, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). But it doesn't really matter, does it? What change has actually being made physically? Disability discrimination is still everywhere. Accessible entrances to buildings are so hard to find. People who have service dogs are wrongfully kicked out of businesses that are not "pet friendly". People with invisible issues, like myself, are often harassed for using accessible parking, even if they have the necessary paperwork. I was often bullied in school for my issues that I cannot help. I am currently struggling to get accommodating housing at my university for next year. There are at least 3 buildings on my campus that, I could argue, do not meet ADA accessibility standards. IT IS RIDICULOUS that disabled people still need to deal with this. I know that in many places around the world, there is no legislature in place, and that things are a lot worse. However, my point is that things need to change everywhere. Nowhere in the world is doing well enough at helping the people who need assistance.
A Sub-Rant Specifically about the Existence of Stairs
STAIRS. I hate them. By now, the users of JetPunk who read these blogs know that there is a very long list of things that I absolutely despise, and stairs are very, very, very close to the top of that list. One of my worst issues right now are my knee problems. My knees CANNOT handle stairs. Even when I was a kid, stairs where always really hard for me to walk up, and I never really knew why. I now know that my knees never really had the needed stability and strength for the task. Walking down stairs is okay when I am having a good day, but I almost never walk UP stairs. (The last time I went home and had to, I may or may not have really gotten hurt...). Stairs are everywhere. Grand staircases are staples of many forms of architecture. One of the many things I can complain about for hours on end would be the ever presence of useless stairs. Why would you install a 'staircase' consisting of only 2 or 3 stairs when it would clearly be more useful and easier to just put in a little tiny ramp. And don't get me started on the comments.
Currently writing this when my knee pain is flaring, at least people understand I need to use an elevator if I have my knee brace on. Otherwise, I just get weird looks when I ask where the elevator or accessible entrance is. People ask me why I am too lazy to just use the stairs. I hear this question on a daily basis. This mindset is so incredibly ableist, yet it will forever be rooted in our society, so I may as well get used to it. Plus, is someone 'lazy' for not wanting to walk up 4 floors of stairs, or is it reasonable to not want to do a full cardio workout just to get to class/work.
Overall, stairs are stupid. They are just annoying. Sub-rant over.
Why Can't Disabled People Have a Break?
Disability can happen to anyone at anytime. It is the only marginalized group that anyone could become a part of in a single second. We are either called lazy for not being able to function like the majority of able-bodied people, or other members of society treat us like we cannot survive on our own. I'm sorry, but no one in a wheelchair should need to worry about a stranger coming up behind them and pushing their chair against their will. THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. It isn't helpful. It is terrifying and dehumanizing. That is the end of it.
Anyways...
This one took me a while, mainly because college is college. Like I said, I will be publishing a very informative blog about my condition sometime during the month of May. As always, please leave suggestions for anything you would like me to rant about. I hope you enjoyed my very personal rant, actually... I don't really care. If you didn't like it, it is not my fault you wasted your precious time reading it.
Thank you for your cooperation,
Rosie
half-deafhard-of-hearing person (I can just barely hear enough with electronic hearing aids) a lot of opportunities are shut out to me. Even very simple things, like walking in the rain, can't be done without sacrificing hearing.I'm not sure I would classify it a physical disability, though, and it's certainly not mental. Hmm.