On a recent trip to a diner in Seattle, a cheerful hostess stepped right up to me and asked, “How can I best help you?” This was wonderful to hear because, on a previous visit, I talked with that same hostess about the best way to greet wheelchair users and other people with disabilities. She remembered and acted on our discussion. This felt like progress!!
My disability is a part of who I am. I have used various assistive devices–a cane, crutches, leg braces, and a wheelchair–to negotiate the world. I know what helps and what does not help. I know which table will allow me to get to the bathroom without having to ask people to move. I know the best place to put the wheelchair if I choose to sit in one of the restaurant chairs. I know the best way to negotiate the tightly-placed tables and chairs that often block me from getting to my table. I have a good gauge of my level of strength and ability to transfer from the chair. It seems only natural to ask me what will help, right? So why don’t people ask me before they do so?
The Americans with Disabilities Act does not specify how to interact with people who have disabilities. It does not address they way that people behave and think about disability.
What is the best way to change the way people act, think, feel? How do people experience disability? How do people see disability? How much of identity is perception? How do we change people’s perception?
One of the answers to these many questions is simple. Just ask.
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