Vroom…splutter…
Posted by Maman Poulet on 10 Mar 2007 at 08:32 pm | Tagged as: Disability, Personal, Uncategorized
As I have alluded to on and off on the blog recently my life has undergone a huge amount of changes in the past year. Apart from the new body and mindset, and new home and job and new woman in my life, I’m thinking about embarking on a new journey in terms of the way I live my life as a disabled person.
There are lots of buzz words around that I too am guilty of using like access,
independence, empowerment, freedom, equality.
The purchase of this machine may mean all of those to me in years to come. But the prospect also terrifies me.
I have been thinking about it for the past 6 months or so,
I used one to get around the Ryder Cup, then I used it in Dundrum Shopping Centre, and in Liffey Valley. I was able to attend a sporting event and enjoy myself to the full. Christmas shopping and other shopping trips have become pleasureable rather than chores. I have been able to shop with friends and combine shopping (and getting much needed advice on clothing of the Trinny and Susannah variety) with meals out and trips to the Cinema. So I began to consider applying the concept of using a mobility scooter to how I live the rest of my life.
From an employment point of view, living and working in the City Centre there is no doubt that I would benefit from it and combined with ready access to taxi’s and other forms of public transport the fact that I am unable to drive will mean that with this I will be more effective at my job. (that’s what it says in the script – I’m choosing to believe it at the moment!)
Some people don’t know I have a disability, or in fact choose not to see me as disabled. Others think I have a temporary impairment. The purchase and use of a mobility scooter means that there will be little doubt or will it? Will people think I’m copping out? Will they too understand the impact and positive benefits that increased mobility will bring to my quality of life? And why the feck should I be bothered what other people think?
Well actually people with disabilities particularly those who may have acquired disabilities do think a lot about what other people think.
Body fascism in our society looms large, all the equality legislation and disability sectoral plans in the world don’t mean a thing when you have to think about every move you make, decision you take and place you go for a cup of tea. Jobs, education, places to live, holidays, relationships, all of these are impacted by the fact that society is disabling me – yes society is also disabled.
As someone working in the disability sector with other people with disabilities I don’t have all the answers and don’t have the certificate in how to adjust or counter the attitudes.
I still have to put in the order and to pay over the money and have the item delivered. And I have to think about the way in which I will use it. And the first person to make the L plate joke will have their toes run over…I promise!
This post might self destruct 15 minutes after you read it – I have just come to the end of a 6 day week, sometimes surrounded by people who should know better saying ridiculous things, other times gaining a few inches in work situations, motivated by the people I work with and then generally feeling very disabled by both my body and the world around me.
Time for a cup of lesbian tea! What you never had one? Ah you don’t know what you’re missing!
Lesbian tea. I’ve never been offered that.
My mind immediately went to Little Britain and the “I want that one” catch-phrase. Being able-bodied (sort of) and I lazy git who simply loves and could not live without my fiesta, I say go for it! Pragmatically it will be very useful. Our mutual friend R. has one and I’ve thought it really helped her.
Ah lesbian tea, is that KD original, Ellen de-Lite or Christine Quinlan extra strong?? When we get an invite, I’ve some nice Simon Levelt Earl Grey from The Hague for you.
If you have transport, does that make you mo-mo poulet? [OK that's just a sad joke... been cleaning and painting the casa today with hubby - what happened to foreplay - so I'm a bit hyper with the fumes]. OK the lady of the house has to go be desperate or domestic, and do dinner.
You looking for an invite Twenty??
I’ve spent a lot of time recently photographing lesbians, gay men and friends during Sydney’s Mardi Gras, and the issue of body fascism has occured to me several times. What I find disappointing is the degree of self-censorship by people who are obviously disabled. I guess it’s difficult to build up a sense of trust in a short space of time.
Any chance of a nice cup of lesbian tea next month?
Sean – the tea is green, and a new Maman Poulet Special…and I look forward to tasting the earl grey…
Morgan there might even be some grub to go with the tea – am looking forward to the challenge of your tastebuds! (arrrrrgh!!!)
Nice post Suzy
It’s something that I think about a lot in terms of people who live with disabilities. My neice taught me a lot the first time I took her to a kids party as a 5 year old and the first thing she did going through the door was rip off her hearing aids and thrust them at me with a look of complicity. I both understood that she wasn’t allowed to do that generally, and that she just wanted some freedom to fit in.
Now, as an adult she continues to wear her hearing aids, even though as she says herself, they don’t help her hear. They have however become part of her identity as a person, who is, amongst many other things, profoundly deaf.
For something that makes your life easier, gives you greater freedom to live the life you want to and to also give you the option of inflicting random acts of toe crushing on the ignorant, I say go for it … just remember it probably goes faster than most of your mates legs and take pity!
Your own need for independence and comfort should must come before the comfort that other people take in their assumptions.
Could the scooter take a pillion passenger?
Oh, and yay for lesbian food!
I think I might understand your dilemma just a little. It’s not the same, I know, but I have Crohn’s Disease, a disease of the bowel and I’ve undergone numberous tests, pokings and proddings for it, taken millions of drugs all of which were hugely toxic and even had major surgery to remove most of my colon, in order to try to combat the disease. Every time I moaned about it, people would say ‘ah but sure it’ll make you feel better, go for it, it’s not a big deal’ and I know that, but it didn’t really help. I didn’t WANT to have the disease, I didn’t WANT to have to take the drugs or have the surgery. At one point there was talk of a possible colostomy bag, even a temporary one and while I know in my heart of hearts it probably would, in the long run, save me a lot of pain and hassle….I still didn’t want one, I was terrified! Thankfully I didn’t have to have one this time and I’m feeling well at the minute, but it is a possibility I’m going to have to face some time down the road. And I know I’ll feel the same then, I won’t want it, no matter how much it will help me.
So I kinda understand where you’re coming from. The scooter would make things easier for you, you’ve used them in the past and enjoyed your days out….but you still don’t want one. It’s a bloody tough decision to make.
This might not be any help to you at all, but I pushed on and did all the things I didn’t want to do, such as the surgery, and it worked out really well for me, so maybe if you take the leap, things will work out for you too. I really hope so.
I’m not disabled by my Crohn’s and I know it’s not the same situation at all, so I hope I haven’t offended you or been insensitive at all. Cheers!
Great post, I hope it doesn’t self destruct.
A good friend of mine has been suffering from MS for some years and up until recently, has been able to get around without the aid of a wheelchair. Having suffered a rapid decline over the last year or so, she is now adjusting to life on wheels, and the realities of this new way of life; for the rest of her life. When she realised that she could no longer go on without the aid of a wheelchair, she found it more difficult to adjust to than the actual disease itself, and the reason for that is what you describe as body fascism, and her own awareness of it having been able bodied for more than thirty years. For some months, she refused to go anywhere, and having fought the MS so well for so long, we feared that she may have given up on herself and that this would ultimately make her deteriorate further and faster. With a lot of support and encouragement, she finally gave in and has not looked back since. In fact, she now regrets having not taken the decision earlier, and feels a new sense of freedom and worth.
Having said that, I have accompanied her out and about on a few occasions, and it has really highlighted for me the absolute disregard some establishments (and people) have for the disabled.
Able bodied people take so much for granted, and far from making allowances, some flippantly turn a blind eye and choose ignorance over acceptance.
On the other hand, progress is being made, and awareness is more prevalent, so perhaps in time things will be better on a broader scale.
Best of luck to you, Suzy. You go girl!
Hope you don’t have too long to wait for the scooter. It’s a pity you’re having to put up with the ignorance of society. There’s a heck of a lot of work to be done on dealing with disability prejudice.
Perhaps you should make a few print outs of all the moronic quips that you don’t need to hear, like the L plates thing, and the speed limit thing. Then you could hand trangressors a copy.
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