To be really fed up at thoughtless disabilism? Long rant, sorry

[Sixweekstowait]

Generally I just get on with having a disability- sometimes I feel sad at the things I can't do but generally I focus on what I can and I do amazingly interesting work where my disability isn't an issue and my intellect is what defines me . But this last week I've got really fed up with careless, thoughtless disabilism. Firstly, the selfish s*s at the station who think that the disabled spaces are there to make life easier for commuters being dropped off or picked up or for people calling in to renew their season tickets. Well on Monday morning at the height of the morning rush hour I'd had enough and one hapless commuter get the full force of my wrath. Other commuters stood around open mouthed of course and looking faintly embarrassed. Then an organisation I've just started work for wanted proof of my disability so I could claim for a taxi. First time I've ever been asked - wtf did they think I was doing? Putting on a silly walk so I didn't have to take the tube? And then the final straw today - Air bloody New Zealand ( of whom I expected better) wouldn't let me select a seat today when I booked online - because I requested special assistance - ie a wheelchair to the aircraft - I don't need it on board. They'll graciously allocate seats when we check in? This is Business Premier we're talking about ffs - I'm not going to be left with the last row by the lavatories. So yet something else to deal with - you can imagine the tone of the email I've just sent. FWIW - when I choose seats with BA online, they just shade out the ones by the emergency exits ( which I understand) and then treat me like a grown- up and let me choose my own seat. Feeling sad now - it's hard work being cross and fighting battles and sometimes I just want a big hug and for organisations / people to just think a bit and for me not to have to be a stroppy sod

Strop away. Every now and then the world decides to crap on you from a great height. It doesn't kill you but it certainly pisses you off.

Consider yourself poo'd on and righteously angry

You have my sympathy OP, as if life isn't frustrating enough without adding in the thoughtless actions of others.

Ryanair's lastest wheeze for disabled people who ask for a wheelchair and assistance to the steps of the aircraft - not lift on/off - is to have them ring a special telephone number at a cost of 1 pound a minute and waiting time for an answer varies between 25 and 45 minutes.

(((Hugs)))

It is shit. My dad used a wheelchair, he died in 2001 but gave up on buses as there were drivers who would refuse to lower the ramps and he couldn't risk being stranded.

My sister is taking part in the referendum campaign, she is 5 foot tall with spinal curvature and has been subject to insults which the brave souls giving out have inexplicably failed to direct at any of the able-bodied six foot tall men she is campaigning alongside.

Can I just say I admire you hugely for standing up for yourself. You shouldn't have to. It shouldn't be a struggle to be treated with dignity or to have basic needs met, but every time you push yourself to challenge unfairness you make it better for everyone else as well as yourself.

I hope Air New Zealand sort it out for you.

hugs from me too op .

I get this all the time too, youd think in this day and age people would be more educated about disabilities but nooooo.

Paralympic games all but forgotten now. hasn't raised awareness at all.

hope you get sorted out by airline.

yanbu i was also asked this week at work to prove my disability to keep my parking space even though i always walk with a crutch, told them to shove it, b*ards!!!! hope you get your seat sorted

YANBU

I'm disabled too and it's the little things that wear you down

I put something similar on a parking thread recently but I hate all the people who park in disabled bays 'just for a minute' so many people do it that those few minutes add up and up and people who desperately need them can't use them. Why does anyone think that's ok? That

I hope you get a good response to your email

Princess everytime I go to car parks I go past all cars in disabled (with loads of other spaces around) and see how many don't have blue badge inside. boils my blood but wardens don't do anything.

That's utterly disgusting behaviour - to ask for proof of disability for taxi fares? Words fail me, don't blame you for ranting - fucking idiots

I'd earbash to Air NZ. From them, I really would expect better. It'll be because they don't want a passenger who might to self allocate an 'exit' seat (or some other self apparent reason). But SURELY they only need to not make those seats available for self allocation

I have just been somewhere which is supposed to be accessible... except it had thick gravel across the entrance... ermmm... bloody difficult to walk on with leg ache from too much walking, bloody difficult to get wheels through and if slightly infirm would be all over the place.

oh and I checked as I was looking for information about access for autism... (generally an accessible toilet where the dryer will not be set off by others)

Seasavage - yes - BAs software allows for that when booking online. At the moment there are loads of the good seats left and I want one!! I was blocked out of looking at the seats available as a person needing special assistance but I made up a fictitious booking for a ' normal' person and was therefore able to access the seat select page - bloody cunning or what? I didn't want them telling me that all the good seats had gone!

I bet there are very few people that know that long distance trains frequently only have one wheelchair space, unless booked in advance. Unlike the rest of the world, somebody with a disability can't just turn up and hope for a space. Was on a train recently and dh was in the wheelchair space, in his chair, another chap in a chair got on and was left in the corridor 'because there are no other spots mate'.
Access for all - bollocks!

I didn't know that but I do know that if you want special assistance at a train station it has to be booked 24 hours in advance - disabled people clearly do not live lives of spontaneity or ever have plans go awry.

Oh god, the people parking in blue badge spaces "just for a minute" "I'm literally popping in just for the loo" ARGHHH.

I recently had a long motorway journey and at EVERY SINGLE FUCKING service station, there was at least one and usually more, none blue badged cars in the BB spaces. And of course no one to rant to, no staff, only at the concessions. The last station I didn't even bother as every blue badge space was taken and I knew I couldn't have limped from further back.

People don't realise, you are right and it makes it so much harder than it is already.

The next time at a service station a prick has parked in a disabled space, I swear I am going to block him in and slit his tyres

When cars park on the pavement and make it hard for me to get by with my stick, sometimes, my stick sort of slips and .........

Accidentally of course she says hurriedly

I walk with a crutch but appear to fall down literally at times a gap between disabled/not disabled. Not bad enough for assistance but not fit enough to do it all myself.

YANBU
My pet gripe is the way MNHQ allow disablism on here. Someone spouts something which posters with disabilities are offended by. We report it and our complaint is rejected because MNHQ don't think it's disablst, although they often admit it's not very nice. It feels like disabled people don't get to decide what sort of attitudes and opinions make their lives harder, it' only offensive to us if people without disabilities deem it so.

Oodneedsanood, have you a blue badge? It took me a long time to apply for mine, but when I was using crutches pretty much all the time, I finally applied and was awarded one pretty much instantly at my assessment.

I did feel a bit mixed about it, swung between feeling like a fraud as there is people worse than me, felt fed up as obviously it was worse than I thought etc etc but now I just appreciate how much easier it has made my life. It's not just the near spaces, it's the larger size allowing you to get crutches or a chair out, and knowing you can (usually!) park near means I go out more than I used to.

I suspect the "just for a minute" parkers justify themselves with the often apocryphal anecdotes about blue badge holders who aren't really disabled, so it doesn't matter if they block a disabled space because everyone's doing it and you probably didn't really need one anyway. Maybe. Anyway they're back now so it's all right, right? You missed your train? Should have allowed more time, mate.

We had some stickers at one point which I used to put on cars. Saying take my parking place. Will you also take my disability. Pisses them off

My trouble is when I'm on a good day my disability is almost invisible. Then two seconds later in on the floor so I never know when I will be caught out.

its impossible. Trains are the worst ime, unmanned platforms with no lifts, everything has to be planned with military precision.

There is a campaign about the policing of bb spaces. This is their fb page :)
www.facebook.com/wantmyspacetakemydisability

I wish there was a day or a law that able bodied people HAD to go one whole day in a wheelchair, not get out of it at all, wheel themselves around, in all places, try and do all the things disabled people had to get on with, and see for themselves and then maybe theyd be a bit more understanding and considerate.