Short rant on disability
Aug. 2nd, 2007 07:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caliente_ukSo it seems that there are some people in fandom who have issues with people with disabilities going in to gigs early and *gasp* daring to take more than one friend with them. Yes, you read that right...I said friend. Not helper, friend. Believe it or not disabled people have friends too, you know.
Do people really think that disabled people *choose* to be disabled, just so they can get into a gig a few minutes early? And nine times out of ten end up shunted to the side of the room or the back of the stalls. Because if that's really what they think, let them go ahead and try it for a while. See how great it is not to be able to get out of bed on their own, or to have to fight for breath just to walk up the stairs (because not all disabled people are wheelchair users, you know. Imagine that!). See how it makes them feel when they're told that they should be "grateful" there's a ramp to get into the venue, never mind expecting an accessible toilet as well. OMG, the wonderful privileges they're missing!
My daughter would give *anything* to be able to stand in line for a gig, and to be able to go in with everyone else. To do all the things that able-bodied people take for granted every day.
Having a disability rarely means getting the "best seats" in the house, because safety issues mean that people with disabilities (rightly) have to be seated where it's safe. K has only ever had a front row seat once in her life (at Words and Music), but that is most definitely unusual. Not to mention the fact that if you're not very quick off the mark, the wheelchair/disabled places will sell out before you even have a chance to buy a ticket.
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deborahw37 posted an excellent rant on her LJ yesterday (which I agree with completely...and is a very fair one, too), so I'll just leave you with part of my comment to her:
How many able-bodied people go to a concert with friends and expect to have to sit apart from them? That happens to people with disabilities on a regular basis. I've lost count of the amount of times K and I have had to sit apart from the rest of our group because only one "helper" is allowed to sit with the disabled person. It's very difficult to interact with people on a social level when that happens, and can quite often feel like segregation. It has to happen, of course, for space and safety reasons (so this isn't a complaint about that, although there is room for improvement), but maybe those who feel so "put out" by people with disabilities being given so-called "special treatment" should go away and think about that for a while.
Sorry for the rant, but I tend to get very passionate about this subject. :)
Do people really think that disabled people *choose* to be disabled, just so they can get into a gig a few minutes early? And nine times out of ten end up shunted to the side of the room or the back of the stalls. Because if that's really what they think, let them go ahead and try it for a while. See how great it is not to be able to get out of bed on their own, or to have to fight for breath just to walk up the stairs (because not all disabled people are wheelchair users, you know. Imagine that!). See how it makes them feel when they're told that they should be "grateful" there's a ramp to get into the venue, never mind expecting an accessible toilet as well. OMG, the wonderful privileges they're missing!
My daughter would give *anything* to be able to stand in line for a gig, and to be able to go in with everyone else. To do all the things that able-bodied people take for granted every day.
Having a disability rarely means getting the "best seats" in the house, because safety issues mean that people with disabilities (rightly) have to be seated where it's safe. K has only ever had a front row seat once in her life (at Words and Music), but that is most definitely unusual. Not to mention the fact that if you're not very quick off the mark, the wheelchair/disabled places will sell out before you even have a chance to buy a ticket.
deborahw37 posted an excellent rant on her LJ yesterday (which I agree with completely...and is a very fair one, too), so I'll just leave you with part of my comment to her:How many able-bodied people go to a concert with friends and expect to have to sit apart from them? That happens to people with disabilities on a regular basis. I've lost count of the amount of times K and I have had to sit apart from the rest of our group because only one "helper" is allowed to sit with the disabled person. It's very difficult to interact with people on a social level when that happens, and can quite often feel like segregation. It has to happen, of course, for space and safety reasons (so this isn't a complaint about that, although there is room for improvement), but maybe those who feel so "put out" by people with disabilities being given so-called "special treatment" should go away and think about that for a while.
Sorry for the rant, but I tend to get very passionate about this subject. :)
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no subject
Date: 2007-08-03 12:50 am (UTC)The attitudes of some people never fail to surprise me. And sadly, I don't think they'll ever change their way of thinking. *sigh*
*hugs back*