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Accessibility Affects US All
Are you
annoyed by the valuable parking spaces that are reserved for the
“handicapped”?
Does the sight of the blue disabled logo prompt you to grind
your teeth, while you circle the block searching for room to
park your car?
If so, I invite you to think again!
Accessibility, and the easy access to public and private
facilities affects us all, at one point or another, in our
lives.
We all begin life as infants, and are usually transported in
carriages, strollers and prams, often with a toddler sibling by
our side. Any parent or caregiver who has attempted to maneuver
opening a heavy door to a department store, with two or three
youngsters in tow,
can relate to the need for easy access and doors that open with
a minium of effort.
Have you ever experienced a mishap or sports accident requiring
you to wear a cast or a brace for a few weeks? This temporary
condition provides you with a glimpse of what your disabled
neighbor experiences on a permanent basis.
The fate of even the most able bodied person can be changed by
an accident or illness in an instant. Remember Christopher
Reeve, a.k.a. “Superman”? He became a champion for the disabled.
Many, if not most, disabilities, for whom patients are granted
the use of disabled spaces, are not obvious. The majority of
people who have disabled parking plates do not use wheelchairs,
but they do have health limitations, among them, heart disease,
lung disease, and cancer, which may curtail them from walking
long distances.
Even if we are fortunate enough to live a very long life without
suffering from any debilitating accidents or illnesses,
eventually our mobility will diminish and we will likely use
disabled parking spaces, and perhaps wheelchair ramps, to assist
us in maintaining our independence.
The next time you pass a disabled parking space and are annoyed
that you cannot park there, breathe deeply, and count your
blessings that you are able bodied. For, someday if you do
become disabled, don’t you hope that able bodied people will
graciously leave that parking space empty for your use?
An excerpt from Where the Red Tailed Hawk Flies
Copyright 1999 by Gabriella Graham/Red Tailed Hawk Publishing |
