Disabled people are a segregated minority in a society that is not accessible, but enforces separate but “equal” facilities in particular public spaces.
Unlike racial segregation, this segregation cannot be physically eliminated or ideologically challenged by occupying the space or using the facility because it is physically impossible for the minority in question. On top of that, this inaccessible society has conditioned the disabled community to apologetically step aside when able-bodied people decide to use our segregated facilities.
You may believe that your choosing to conceive and carry a child to full term entitles you to not only move freely throughout the world and society, but also to commandeer the very few spaces disabled people are allotted, but you are not.
The same goes for those of you who do not fit society’s ideal of beauty or of what gender is or isn’t.
This especially goes for those of you who are using these facilities for “just a moment” and/or “only when disabled people aren’t waiting”
Many of us go unnoticed by you privileged, able-bodied people and many of us do not look disabled at first glance but physically need the modifications of the facility. Besides that, we all have a story of when we were made to wait because we came in after the person who was “just going to be a moment and didn’t see any disabled people waiting”
If there’s any question in your mind as to whether you are allowed to use disabled facilities then the answer is no, you’re not. Those of us disabled enough to need the facilities know without a shadow of a doubt that we do, in fact, need them.
I’m sorry that some of you are too large to fit into a small bathroom stall. I’m sorry that some of you don’t want your children or animals crammed in the small bathroom stall with you.
I’m also sorry that so many disabled people have urinated and defecated on themselves because of a lack of accessible facilities and people’s refusal to leave them available.
And I’m sorry that some disabled people, like myself, are so disabled that even the “accessible” facilities are not enough and so we cannot go far from home, or be occupied for any extended amount of time.
I suggest that those of you who have used a disabled stall because you were in a hurry or it was too cramped for you and your children and your dog should go to your local mall and piss and shit on yourself and face the ridicule of your peers. After that, you can use the regular stall or go home to use the restroom as I and many others have to do.
I’m watching True Life and in this episode a man who had body modifications done (specifically horn implants) wants corrective surgery to appear normal again. He originally got the modifications specifically for attention and now is tired of it.
He complains that he can’t leave the house without people staring at him, strangers constantly asking question and giving their opinions on how he looks and what he should do.
I would be playing the smallest violin but I would have to buy one which means leaving the house and having everyone stare at me, follow me around the store, gather around my car to watch me get in and out, ask me tons of personal questions, and give me their opinions on how I should be conducting myself and living my life.
Fuck you people who throw yourself into outsider culture just to gain attention and then bitch about not fitting into society.
plot twist: a disabled character whose personality is not central to their disability
Carpet: Long fibered carpet will make the drive of both an electric chair and a manual wheelchair sluggish.
Sidewalks: Smooth asphalt is no problem but sidewalks are made of segmented pieces that have dips between them that over time can space out or be forced apart by underground tree limbs (as well as making them jut upward at odd angles)
Grass: Grass (especially wild grass) can camouflage many hazards. While driving over a grassy terrain it can be impossible to see holes or solid objects and you cannot compensate for where the ground might give way.
Smooth Surfaces: Generally things like linoleum are not a problem unless they become wet or covered in dirt. You have to adjust the speed or strength with which you move so you aren’t as forceful and end up running into something. You also must take into account your chair’s want to spin or slide.
Ramps: In some areas accessible ramps have mandatory bright yellow plastic coverings with a random pattern of bumps on them. The sensation of driving over them is jarring and very uncomfortable.
Steep Inclines: An electrical chair may go slowly or strain to go up the high incline and will gain speed and sometimes lose control going down. The manual wheelchair will take a great amount of strength to go upward and is very dangerous to go downward without a greater amount of strength and control.
Going across a steep incline can be hard to maneuver as your chair has the inclination to turn down into the slope. An electrical chair will require readjusting from time to time and the manual wheelchair will take a good amount of strength and maneuvering to keep a straight path
Sand: Sand, as well as loose dirt, can be impossible to gain traction on and will inevitably sink. Wheelchairs specific to be used on beaches have been developed that have ballooned wheels but you cannot move yourself and him and they look awful.
Wooden Planks: Places such as the docks or rail yards and even in some old Western towns have wooden planks as their walkways. Driving over them, regardless of your type of chair, is incredibly jarring and painful, without breaks it can be impossible to drive on them for long periods of time. The vibration and shaking can be so bad that in an electric wheelchair can short out and leave you stranded.
General Notes: Any terrain that has holes or cracks or chips in it can run you the risk of getting a wheel stuck or even flipping you.
Maneuvering through and around obstacles can appear sporadic to the untrained eye and leads well-meaning able-bodied people to take hold of your wheelchair and push it in an attempt to help, which can be very dangerous. Dangerous despite the fact that being abruptly pushed can sometimes get your fingers or feet caught or broken, these people do not understand the physics involved and will apply force when finesse is necessary and sometimes dump you right out of the chair.
Specific disabilities make for specific needs for maneuvering and accommodations for pain. General pain is to be expected with most disabilities but riding in a wheelchair and the amount of shaking and bumping that is involved multiplies this pain. If you are writing a disabled character in a wheelchair it is important to note this and the likelihood of “pressure sores” Sitting for long periods of times can kill tissue and result in nerve damage on your butt in the back of your thighs and if you have developed pressure sores terrains like the wooden planks I described can be impossible to go over.
I’m sure I’m forgetting something, a few things most likely, so if anyone has anything to add please be my guest.
Earlier this morning I got an anonymous question asking For some common mistakes people make when writing disabled characters and I invited other people to put their input in before I wrote this, but even in doing so I acknowledge this won’t be a comprehensive list. If anyone has anything to add, please add.
The biggest mistake people make when writing disabled characters is to write them within the two crippled tropes: The Inspirational Cripple and The Bitter Cripple.
Without fail a disabled fictional character will fall within one of these two stereotypes. They will either have embraced their disability, overcome obstacles, and be a saintly creature which opens hearts and changes minds or they will be an angry and self loathing monster.
I will be the first to admit that it is hard to address disability in fiction without inevitably inching upon a stereotype. Obviously you have to address the disability of disabled person and described how they internalize it, so sometimes they might be angry and it begins to look bitter but in an attempt to avoid making your character bitter they can come off as inspirational. The thing to keep in mind is that the disability is an aspect of your character and is not their sole identity; we all have our bitter days as well as our inspirational days, so and as long as you represent that dichotomy you have a good chance at avoiding a stereotype.
(Given that this isn’t the topic to discuss what we call the disabled community “inspirational porn” I recommend for anyone who isn’t aware of why being inspirational is offensive to disabled to read my earlier post: Insporational Porn: How You Can Stop Offending Cripples.)
The second most prevalent issue is the fact that most disabled characters are paralyzed and in wheelchairs permanently. There is something romantic about the story of someone being in an accident and suddenly waking up to realize they can’t move but the story has been done to death. It is still a fine story if that’s what you want to write but there are an innumerous different disabilities, many that even result in wheelchair use if that’s what you want to describe, but at this point it’s starting to seem like paraplegia is the only disability writers are aware of. Worst of all I’ve seen stories in which the author obviously wanted a disabled character in a romantic story but was unwilling to do any research on how the disability can affect sexual practices.
Speaking of lazy writing, another common problem with lack of research is how unrealistic a disabled character’s accessibility, comfort, adaptation, etc. etc. is portrayed. It can be anywhere from a mastery of wheelchair usage within moments of using one, to very unlikely details the only disabled people themselves would recognize.
I once read a book in which a disabled woman in a wheelchair was at rodeo with her date when a bull got loose; the hero scooped her up in his arms and carried her to safety. If the previous sentence doesn’t sound fishy to you, you obviously aren’t a long time wheelchair user. Given that the characters had a lot of bumpy ground to go over that would’ve had dips and holes the woman in the wheelchair would have had her seat belt on and being abruptly scooped up like that would be incredibly painful. I say this from personal experience.
This blog is about physical disabilities so I don’t feel comfortable speaking on much else but someone mentioned something about mental disabilities that I’d like to tentatively approach discuss. Characters with mental disabilities tend to be crafted based solely on their disability, as if no other part of their personality or intellect can be developed within a different context. As subtle and complex physical disabilities are, mental disabilities are even more so. If your character is mentally disabled remember to use the definition of their disability as a guide and not a cage.
(Source: get-me-0ut-0f-here)
‘A Phyllis of the Sierras - by Bret Harte.’
The Illustrated London News Christmas Number 1887.
Caller: And have you ever considered joining the military?
Me: Well, I figured since I was in a wheelchair, that wouldn’t really be an option.
Caller: Oh! Yeah I definitely was not aware of that. That would definitely keep you from joining. Alright then.
Me: *laughingI had the same kind of phone call when I was graduating from high school (a little creepy how they keep track and jump on you as soon as possible)
I told him I was disabled and he didn’t believe me. In a sarcastic tone he said that a lot of people had problems and they could still work for their country. I told him that I’m in a wheelchair and he blatantly asking if I was lying… Frustrated, I gave him a rundown of my limitations and after a pause he said “oh, okay… So what are you up to today?” and proceeded to flirt with me.
Wouldn’t it be funny if this story ended in, “and were going to be married this spring”
This would be an amazing story for My Fair Wedding with David Tutera.
