I feel disabled when you address my friends at a restaurant to ask what I want to drink.
Not because I use a wheelchair.
I feel disabled when you assume I have the mental age of a three-year-old and speak to me accordingly.
Not because I use a wheelchair.
I feel disabled when you leave your scooter, bicycle or bin in the middle of the pavement and I cannot get past.
Not because I use a wheelchair.
I feel disabled when you react with visible surprise and tell me you “respect” me after I mention I have a job.
Not because I use a wheelchair.
I feel disabled when you do not treat me as an equal.
Not because I use a wheelchair. And that is something you have the power to change.
Ask me what I want to drink. Talk to me, not about me. Keep the pavement clear. Treat my job as a normal part of life, not as an extraordinary achievement.
Small choices. Big impact.