An online friend of mine (qualified as “online” only because I’ve never spoken to or met her in person) was recently diagnosed with Lupus. She has been through hell and back with organ problems, surgeries, and assorted issues before she was finally diagnosed. Right now, she is ok. She’s on a high dose of prednisone though, so she is a little bigger than her normal size; not to mention her body is tired and sore. She recently went to Disney on a MUCH deserved vacation with her family and while there, used a wheelchair. She wrote a great post about how invisible she felt while in the chair; how she felt judged and ignored. (Go read!)
I was surprised, to be honest. I mean I’ve heard of people in wheelchairs having issues with access, with wheelchairs being broken, things of that nature, but not of people bumping into them and ignoring them. What is wrong with people?
I started to think about myself. Trying to think if I have ever ignored or thought poorly of someone in a wheelchair. Have you?
I don’t think I have. In my mind, a wheelchair is a sign of some sort of injury or illness and I don’t see any reason to judge or ignore that. Bottom line is that they are still a person. Hell, I might even ask for a ride in a place like Disney!
So I’m sad for her. She’s strong and has a wonderful family and a good voice, but even if I didn’t know that about her, I would be sad knowing that her dream vacation was knocked down a peg because of other people.
Today’s PSA: people in wheelchairs are (a) in them for a reason and (2) still people. Be kind. Dammit.
Wife. Mom. Cancer Fighter. Friend. Business Owner. I believe life is short, some things just are what they are, and that there are very few problems that laughter won't solve or at least make better. 
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Thank you. It’s really the judgement of ‘why’ that person is in a chair that hurts the most. It’s as if they just assume you are some how gaming the system or too lazy or fat or something. When you don’t have an obvious cast, or disability, people can be very unkind.
xoxoxox
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