Calling it what it is..... Discrimination
- Thriving After SCI
- Mar 10, 2019
- 2 min read
Finding the ideal place to volunteer takes time. Add a wheelchair to that process, all the assumptions that go along with not being able to stand and it gets a bit more complicated.
It took several months of searching but I found the right organization to devote my time and energies.
After meeting with the director of volunteers, she was excited to have me start & even stated that the group leaders would "snatch me up” and would be grateful for my help. In the meantime, she asked me to crochet mats for the homeless & happily I agreed.
What happened next was an experience I least expected in 2019.
Our next meeting was uncomfortable. She was nervous and very apologetic while stating “they are worried about liability” and she “was so sorry.” It took time for me to realize what she was saying without saying it out loud. The mere fact that I used a wheelchair to get around was viewed by her coworkers as an inconvenience and a hinderance. Unfortunately, that was all their focus was on.
Once again, I found myself in the face of discrimination and the feelings of helplessness that it can produce. After resolving my anger, I found another organization to devote my time and energies to. This experience made me decide to devote more time to advocacy & changing the things I can.
The misconception & misunderstanding that still exists is something to be reckoned with.
Being a wheelchair user has taught me many lessons. The greatest of these has been humility and gratitude for the small things. In a heartbeat everything was taken from me, leaving me at the mercy of others. It was a blessing in disguise and I will never be the same.
We are all important, have value and special gifts to share with society. No matter what plane you are doing it from. Please remember to see the individual not the wheelchair because its not who I am - it’s just how I get around.