There’s no sugar-coating it, the hardest part of being in a wheelchair is trying to access the world. And that’s really saying something considering the other challenges that can come with disability.
Growing up with a disability, I often felt more disabled by society and my surroundings than by my actual disability. I didn’t understand why it was harder to get around unlike everyone else, how I could go somewhere and there wouldn’t be a toilet I could use, or there would be so many stairs that I couldn’t access places. After a while I was able to recognise what was happening and I even found a term to explain it.
The social model of disability highlights that people are disabled by barriers in society, like a building not having a ramp or an accessible toilet, and by people’s attitude towards someone being different, such as the assumption they can’t do something. I constantly come across this when I’m trying to access the world. If barriers were eliminated we would have more choice and independence but, unfortunately, they’re a reality in the world we live in.
I recently went to a karaoke club with my friends, and on arrival we realised that the club was upstairs. Luckily, I was with a few strong men who assured me they could carry me up the stairs. But willing muscle power is not always on standby. In most situations like this, I would have to turn around and go home, which has happened to me before and is extremely upsetting.
On this occasion however, my friends graciously carried me up the stairs. We went into the karaoke room, taking our drinks with us where we sang and danced the night away. After a few hours, I was getting nervous. The guys who had carried me upstairs were quite drunk by this point… how the heck was I going to get down two flights of stairs?
Two of the drunk guys insisted they could still carry me and, since I had no other option, I reluctantly agreed. Some more friends, seeing how scared I was, came to make sure we made it down okay. We were feeling so happy after karaoke that we sang ‘Sweet Caroline’ as they carried me down. Luckily I made it down in one piece. This is one example of the lengths someone in a wheelchair must go to in order to overcome a barrier in society and access the world.
These are just some of the barriers that make life harder for someone with disability, who has every right to fully participate in society (and karaoke, should they choose). With the social model of disability now established, across the globe, as the way in which disability should be viewed, the world needs to change to accommodate us all.
