"There can be a problem with inclusion when people expect there to be no problems."
-Me
I really don't know if anyone else ever said that, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's my quote.
Yesterday I ran into an inclusion issue at church. A retreat I wanted to go on is being held in a location that has a ramp but doesn't have an accessible bathroom, which is an issue for me. I spoke to the woman who is running the retreat and she checked the details out for me and relayed the situation to me.
We worked things out in a very productive way . The people in my parish try very hard - harder than I've ever seen people try - to accommodate what I need.
I've said before that inclusion is a two way street. By that I mean that both sides have to hang in there and work toward it. It doesn't happen overnight and it takes communication.
After using a wheelchair for over a decade, I know how far we still have to go with access. Hence the quote above - access, especially when traveling, can be dicey. (At this point, I hear voices chime up saying how much better it is now than it was and I acknowledge that. Sit down. Unless you already are.)
Part of inclusion, then, is bridging the kinds of gaps in experience between people who use a wheelchair every day and those who aren't familiar with that. This is an ongoing process. Able bodied people just don't have to find out if places have ramps and accessible bathrooms before they go somewhere. We do.
This can be hard to accept when your disability is new. The initial shock of realizing that I was the one in the wheelchair who couldn't go here or there has now worn off and I realize that, despite the advances in access, it still requires planning, inquiries and creativity for me to travel. I have to be specific and realistic about what I need. I then need to communicate this to other people.
In this case, this woman was kind enough to do all of the footwork, which I appreciate. Most of the time I do that myself. It can be time consuming getting access information and at times people on the other end of the phone, whether you're dealing with a hotel, restaurant or retreat center, may not be knowledgeable about access issues. It can take a number of calls to even find out what kind of access they have and you may not even get accurate information.
When it happens with church activities, this whole process can feel frustrating to both sides. It's extremely important to remember, as we go through growing pains with inclusion together, that the dialogue we have as parishioners is a crucial step in the achievement of inclusion. Even if the immediate problem cannot be solved, planning for the future is an option. And working through solutions together - well that's inclusion in and of itself.
This world is not built for wheelchairs. As my fellow parishioners learn how much of an issue it can be at times, I find myself marvelling at their willingness to be flexible and their commitment to include me.
But after years of dealing with this alone so many times, what I cherish most is that they truly care.
4 comments:
I ran into a similar situation at my church. We had a breakfast event and I couldn't get in with my wheelchair. Someone brought over a portable ramp and I had my pancakes and sausage! Made me realize how it's a group effort and common sense to make things happen.
Ruth thanks for talking to me about my job problem. I talked to my boss and he is working with me on it . Need the job so this is cool.
Years ago - over a decade ago - I taught an undergraduate class in Medical Sociology in summer school. I wanted the students to have some experience of access issues. I got some dowel rods and toy trucks with big wheels, attached a dowel rod to each toy truck with duct tape.
I sent them out in pairs, one to carry out a common task for a student (go to the computer center to pick up output, go to Kinko's to get copies, etc). One person was to use the dowel to push the truck, and could not go anywhere that the truck could not be wheeled. (I chose the toys because I also wanted it to be apparent to outsiders that something non-normal was happening). The other person was to keep a distance, record the problems the person encountered, and the reactions of bystanders.
All of the tasks were within 2 blocks of our classroom building. Some students could not complete their task at all (e.g. the Student Union could not find the person with the elevator key). None had an easy time.
All of them were completely astounded. Because they could see curb cuts and ramps, they thought access was a solved.
I had completely forgotten that whole thing until now - thank you for the reminder, and for letting me know that nearly 2 decades still hasn't made it a non-issue.
What a great exercise to demonstrate access issues. I've seen people have folks try out wheelchairs , go up and down ramps, open doors, etc. but what you describe really does bring home the necessity of having solid ground for wheels. Moreover, using a common task as an example demonstrates how even a simple thing can turn into an issue. Thanks for adding this to the post.
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