|
|
Often I am invited to places and have to decline because there are steps. Most people don’t give steps a second thought, but I just don’t do them well unless there is a leg lifter behind me and a sturdy railing at my side.
Another leg-lifting problem presents itself when getting into the shower stall.
Without the four grab bars in my tiny second bathroom and the three bars inside the shower I would not make it inside. That is after lifting the weaker left leg inside first and then dragging the stronger right one in. Without the bars I’d never make it.
A funny thing happened on my recent trip to visit friends in Baltimore. You see, if your friends don’t share your infirmities, it naturally doesn’t occur to them to plan for yours.
First, they had to get a neighbor to assist in getting me up the two steps into the house.
Then, a couple catastrophes occurred in the bathroom. As usual, the toilet seemed low enough for a kindergartner (at least it seems that way when you have difficulty rising from a low position). Because there were no grab bars to hold onto, I first broke the toilet paper holder and then the towel rack. Fortunately my hosts were very good friends or I would have been liable for considerable damages.
Since they are even older than I am, my condition provided them with food for thought about their own elder years. On my next visit they plan to be better prepared with special amenities.
Following my visit to Baltimore, I read an article in the Daily Times entitled "A Demonstration of Ignorance In Yeadon." Since I am a Yeadon resident it naturally caught my attention.
I did not attend the community meeting in January to protest Elwyn’s (an institution for various disabled people) intent to purchase property in Yeadon. Had I attended, I would have offered a different reaction. Perhaps because of my own mobility challenges I naturally feel empathy toward the disabled. A second reason for my different slant on things is my close association with disabled family members and with students with various disabilities during my 37 years as an elementary school teacher and principal.
My students included Down syndrome, autistic and physically challenged (some with spina bifida and some with stomach-feeding tubes).
All of these children presented special challenges, but in their way provided for the entire school community an enriched sense of what the real world is all about.
Perhaps the most rewarding and eye-opening experience took place at my last school assignment before retirement. This occurred when "Durga" arrived from Nepal where as an infant she had rolled over into an open fire. This accident left her horribly disfigured, necessitating her stay in America for several painful surgical procedures.
After a thorough orientation our school anxiously awaited her arrival and soon Durga had more friends than she could accommodate.
The response to Durga was typical of the way I have observed children respond to "disabled" people once they have an inkling of understanding. Of course it helped that Durga was a very brave girl with a beautiful spirit which overshadowed her imperfections.
Unlike adult people who have been hardened by misguided prejudice and disassociation, children, with a minimal amount of guidance tend to demonstrate profound capacities for understanding and empathy.
If left to them, there would be fewer 12-inch high toilets; no able-bodied people parking in handicapped spaces; more grab bars; safer environments; greater compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act; etc.
This is not to say that the majority of us fail the test, but with a bit more study the world community would score much higher on a special SAT (Sensitive Attitude of Trust).
Joyce E. Stewart is a member of theDelaware County Daily Times Community Advisory Board.
