Have your ever gone shopping as a disabled person?

Question

I wrote an article on going to the mall as a disabled person, Here's the link.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/246107/handicapped_accessible_being_disabled.html

Answer 1

Good Article, hun, would love to see it in a place that the average person had to read it, and hopefully it will and has made some difference.

Here are some of my experiences and pet peeves:

1) Clothing stores and the clothing section of department stores are certainly not wheelchair friendly, and often not wheelchair accessible. You can barely walk between the racks on two good legs. Also, the cashier counter in these is usually high, and rarely will the clerk come around to help, instead they force you to reach to them with the payment and to get change and the receipt.

2) I took my kids to the "big mall" in a major city as a Christmas outing. We were poor, but all of us had saved up our change and done extra things for money for several months, so that we could make this trip, two hours from home. Some of the stores, including an Electronics store, a novelty store, and a science toy store, met us at the door, and invited me to remain at the door while my teen-age children looked, and that they would be happy to bring out to me anything I wanted to see more closely. That's right, they did not want my wheelchair in the store! Needless to say, they lost both our respect and our business.

3) Invisibility. When you are disabled, you often become invisible. I cannot count the number of times doors have been let slam in my face by the person pushing ahead of me, who doesn't even have the decency to wait an extra second to hold the door til I can grab it. Or the times I have struggled, either with a cane or in a wheelchair, to juggle the door, myself, cane, and packages, and other people push by in irritation but won;t lend assistance that is obviously needed.

4) Rude remarks. Why? because I am fat, and I am using the electric cart in the store, or a disabled parking place, or whatever, and people assume I am lazy, and "if I would just lose 100 lbs" I wouldn't be disabled. Hello ... I gained the weight from illness, meds, and being immobile ... the fatness is a side effect of my disability, not the cause.

Bottom line, the U.S. and Canada (don't know about other countries firsthand) are not nearly as accessible as is assumed. Just try it some day.

Answer 2

What I find interesting too that wasn't mentioned in your article is how inaccessible some handicap restrooms can be. For one, the doors to get in to a restroom are usually VERY heavy, and it can be very hard to push/pull open from a wheelchair. Then there is often a garbage can sitting right there blocking the path to get in. Once I move that out of the way, if the handicap stall is empty, I push myself that way. The large stalls are often not large enough to maneuver a wheelchair in to a position to do a decent transfer. It's also quite interesting getting myself into some of the stalls, and then trying to get turned around to close & lock the door behind me.
But then sometimes the stalls are so huge they are a wonderful surprise to use :) I especially love the handicap stalls that include a private sink. I have to catheterize myself while peeing, so it provides a private place to clean the catheter and my hands afterwards, without the whole world staring at me and wondering what in the world I am holding.
For the most part, I think that people are really trying to make places accessible. I just sometimes feel that either the planners aren't themselves disabled (and an idea that looks good on paper may not be the best in practice) or else they are trying to cut financial corners and do the bare minimum to qualify as ADA compliant.
It would be interesting for some of the planners to have to go around using a wheelchair for a few days. Though of course, if they really get into a bind, they have the advantage of being able to just get up and walk, transfer, or reach, or other things that a wheelchair user would not have the option of doing!

Answer 3

I enjoyed your article very much. It was well written and in a non-judgemental way. Although - and please don't take it the wrong way when I say this - I do not agree with some of your observation and some assumptions about other people on your part. But I can understand totally why you made those observations. But it was refreshing to see people such as yourself explain the problem people with disability face everyday without making it into a "disability rights" protest or another "the world owes me a living" article.

I am from Australia and I have worked for over 20 years in disability services and have supported many many people with a disability in the community. I also have many personal friends who have a disability. I DO KNOW about what you have experienced. I also have - for the sake an "exercise in first hand experience", went out and about in a wheelchair with my friends. While physical barrier is a problem, in contrast to your article, I think I am lucky here in Australia. I found that people deal with me a lot better than what you have experienced. This may be a bif difference in attitude on people here. Sure, there are some people who can be rude or bigoted. But I found that generally, people tend to be very helpful and patient here. We are very much a "fair-go" society.

" It's about treating everyone, including the disabled, the way you would want to be treated"
Yes! If only people can only experience what it is like to have a disability and spend a week totally in a wheelchair.

Thank you for sharing that experience.

See me and my friend (he uses a powerchair) as we go on a trip to Thailand laxt October here
http://geocities.com/phingaw

Answer 4

this question and the dissimilar solutions strengthen the actuality that absolutely everyone with a incapacity are in simple terms like all different human so a lengthy way as behaviour and attitudes. some human beings can be a obnoxious and abusive because they're in simple terms obnoxious and abusive form of individual. it truly is about time human beings contained in the final community recognize that undesirable behaviour could no longer be tolerated and by no potential to take delivery of "allowance" in simple terms because of a incapacity - except for some mission that unquestionably motives some maladaptive behaviour - for instance, Tourettes syndrome, Autism, drug/alcohol, psychological health themes. How typically can we see a baby who's behaving badly ruin out with it because "Oh, he's disabled" a baby misbehaves because it truly is a baby. If that child has NO incapacity, might want to he are growing away with it? If those with disabilities needs a honest flow contained in the international and be dealt with with dignity and recognize, then additionally they could take care of those with dignity and recognize. they can't use the incapacity as an excuse for his or her own bahaviour or the outcome of their behaviour.

Answer 5

As a temporarily disabled person (crushed toe; crutches for a long time) I went to classes; cafeterias; and as little else as possible; too much pain, plus the non-delight of having to ask someone to carry things for me. Nice article.

Answer 6

Well written article, and I fully relate to your plight, not so much as a disabled person but as a carer.

I regularly take clients shopping with varying types of disability, from a shuffling slow walker with a cane, to pushing a wheel chair around (this person is unable to do much for themselves).

To say the lest it can be very challenging, and down right thrust rating both for the client and myself. Being in a rural area, most people are fairly good in helping out, by moving out of the way, or opening doors for us.

But sadly there is some people who are rude and push in front of the clients, they usually get a short shift from me, by my declaring clearly that the person with me was waiting first, and would they mind waiting their turn, a few times other people have told the person off for being rude. One of my clients swore at one very rude person one day, making a few people smile, needles to say the rude person took off, very red faced. (They were told to ?iss off I was here first).

I have one client who will stop and not move if people start pushing us from behind, I usually ask people to note that I am with someone who needs to take their time in walking, so please be kind enough to wait a few moments. With this particular client we usually go to shopping in what we hope is a quieter area. Christmas being a particular nightmare.

The down side to being a rural town is that the shops and some buildings are not always wheel chair friendly, making shopping difficult for the clients, especially if the require a particular item from non wheel chair accessible shops.

My pet hate is the cobbled footpaths, makes it hell trying to walk or push a wheel chair. My other pet hate is people who are inconsiderate and take a disabled persons car parking spot, there is not enough disabled parking as it is.

Answer 7

Every day but my disability is mild.

Sometimes people have trouble understanding my speech.
But most people would not notice as some disablities are hidden.

Answer 8

and it frustrating isn't it.....you would think that others would have a little consideration for those who are disabled ..but they don't....its difficult for me to bite my lip and not say things to folks when my moms and I take my grams shopping....especially when they stop right in front of her or refuse to move after you have asked politely "excuses us please" and they just stand there....but I have to just bite my lip and keep my anger to my self because my grams doesn't like it ...also when taking her to the restroom just to have to wait for the handicapped stall because some woman and her 3 kids are in there using it....the article was interesting and it good that you are now aware whats its like but its a shame it had to take an accident for you to see....but sometime life works out that way...

Answer 9

Yes I have...I have to use an electric cart to get through the store...people don't even see me and they run right into me...I have to go very early in the day...when I do go to the store...if I go later, everyone runs into me...not a very nice experience at all.

Answer 10

yes every time i shop you see i am disabled a Polio Victim left crippled by it's effects years ago..