The Handicapped Lobbyist Strikes Again
Start writing a post
Lifestyles

The Handicapped Lobbyist Strikes Again

I can't stand the mistreatment of disabilities because I can't stand in general.

54
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnddc%2Fparallels2%2Fone%2Fvideo14%2Fada-signing3.png&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnddc%2Fparallels2%2Fone%2Fvideo14%2Fvideo74-ada-signing.html&docid=e6ENdZ8Y7iQG6M&tbnid=L0SSM-u3mZTOVM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwi8gcSlgYrfAhVrm-AKHZ9mDTwQMwhoKAEwAQ..i&w=600&h=450&client=safari&bih=661&biw=1274&q=ada%20signing&ved=0ahUKEwi8gcSlgYrfAhVrm-AKHZ9mDTwQMwhoKAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

Formulating these words and sentences has been a long time coming out of fear that I will, therefore, be labeled "the disabled girl" or "the girl in the wheelchair". I will gladly wear these labels if it means that change will finally come.

High School, as everyone and every teen-based drama series or film can attest, is typically not a very unpleasant experience. How could it be?

It is preached in health class, "our bodies are changing.". High school, the politically correct way of describing the worst social experiment only matched by The Stanford Prison Experiment, is ripe with hormones, teenage angst and the pressure to built a resumé of Harvard's wet dreams.

No one ever walked into high school anticipating four years of sheer awesomeness because this is not "The Lego Movie" and Everything Is Not Awesome.

I walked (yes, at the time I literally did walk in) into my Freshman year with a bar set about two feet off the ground.

Freshman year certainly wasn't overly pleasurable. I found myself upset, angry, and/or frustrating a fair amount of the time.

However it took me a little while to realize that this is not the symptoms of purely high school, rather they were the symptoms of being in a high school that is an able-bodied person's world.

Yes, my high school is legally accessible for those with physical disabilities and the slew of annual kids on crutches due to sports-related injuries thanks to the American Disabilities Act of 1990.

However, meeting the bare minimum set by the ADA does not meet the actual needs which disabled students deserve.

Imagine that instead of the eight stairways spread throughout Staples, there was only one stairwell in the center of the school. However, this stairway can only have three people at most be on it at a time.

Now imagine trying to get to class even remotely on time with the parameters set before you. Even if there were only thirty kids in Staples, you would still be late.

You may be thinking, "Well what if I just ran up the stairs really fast?" Sure, that is an option when using stairs, but elevators don't have nitrous tanks strapped underneath them. This isn't Fast and The Furious.

I can say with 100 percent certainty that I end up late to at least two classes a day because of the whole one-teeny-tiny-slowly-moving-elevator situation. If I am getting to class on time it is almost always because I have to leave the prior class early.

Either way, you slice it, I am missing valuable class time that should be spent learning. How is that fair?

Believe me, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Allow me to introduce you to my friend and foe, the lifts.

The lifts are those obtuse metal boxes that make loud sounds, which many people have creatively repurposed into a garbage can.

Yes, that is correct. People use the lifts others rely on as a sole means of transport as a place to dump their garbage when they are too lazy to use an actual garbage can located in every bathroom, classroom, and in the cafeteria.

Spoiler Alert: it does not make you less cool to walk the extra feet and use a garbage can. It just makes you less of a jerk. The lifts themselves are bad enough, so when the floor is blobbed with the remnants of your breakfast, it really enhances the already delightful experience.

The inadequacies of my school's accessibilities are only a symptom of a much grander issue. America as a whole has been complacent for 27 years with vague, outdated legislation at the suffrage of millions of disabled citizens.

It's time we as a united nation wake up and proclaim this is unacceptable.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

86866
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

52848
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments