What does physics have to do with INCLUSION?

Newton's first law of motion. You learned it in school. Remember?!

An object in motion, stays in motion....Unless....

Well, to simplify things...

Unless something gets in its way and causes a CRASH. 💥

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So, what does this have to do with disability INCLUSION?

A lot!

And here's why....

Most human beings that walk on 2 legs, DON'T UNDERSTAND this basic concept of MOVEMENT.

I know because I have lived with mobility limiting disabilities for 42 years.

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Here's what I see, every week:

A disabled person using a wheelchair or an electronic shopping cart, is in a store.

The disabled person is minding their own business. ♿️

They are moving forward, straight down an aisle. ⏫️

A mobile person standing on 2 legs, is off to the side, in a perpendicular aisle. ➡️

The mobile person is probably pushing a cart or a baby buggy,

and they are planning to turn into the SAME aisle as the wheelchair user.

The mobile shopper isn't in a hurry.

They are at a TOTAL STANDSTILL, calmly looking ahead, into the new aisle. 🧐

The walking person sees the mobility device. 😬

They make EYE CONTACT with the wheelchair user. 👀

Then they RUSH FORWARD, turning quickly in front of the wheelchair (or just crossing past the wheelchair)

before IMMEDIATELY slowing down

(Remember, they weren't actually in a desperate rush to complete their shopping. They didn't NEED to be first. But their instinct said they SHOULD be first.). ⤴️

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What happens next is one of 2 things. Neither is pleasant for the disabled, wheelchair user.

Either,

A) The wheelchair user crashes into the person, or their cart/buggy, or a display table...

because they haven't had enough time to slow down 😱

(Wheels in motion do not stop as fast as legs. Wheels are more efficient at forward motion and so need EXTRA time to stop.)

If the disabled person appears young or if their disability isn't highly visible, they are then lectured for "causing the accident."

And even if those things don't apply, their physical fragility means the crash may leave them hurting, for days.

Or

B) The disabled person is able to stop JUST in time to prevent a crash,

but it jolts their whole body,

leaves their heart racing,

and feels a LOT like it feels when you almost skid your car into another car's bumper. 😵‍💫

It's physically and emotionally exhausting.

And as the disabled person already HAS "fewer spoons," due to living with pain and restricted mobility....

This chronic problem creates a BIG obstacle to feeling SAFE in public spaces.

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Consider this:

Because transportation logistics

(like arranging for accessible bussing, reserving electric carts, ensuring there are ramps, etc.)

are so much more COMPLEX for people with mobility limitations,

disabled folks already get out of the house, far LESS than able-bodied folks.

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So the repeated experience of these NEAR MISS CRASHES happening every time they are in a public space,

causes ACTUAL TRAUMA.

It can even cause agoraphobia!

(Happened to my dad...and he's NOT the only one.)

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How would YOU feel, if EVERY time you drove a car,

you had between 2 and 5 near-miss-crashes before you could complete your SINGLE errand?

What if at LEAST once a week you actually DID rear end someone,

because they didn't stop for the red light, and turned into your lane when you had the right of way?

And then everyone stared...

And someone said you looked too young to be driving, so it was your fault...

Would you even WANT to drive, anymore?

Well THAT is what it's like to be a mobility aide user, in public spaces.

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So what SHOULD you do, if you see a wheelchair or scooter about to move past you?

PAUSE and LET THEM GO PAST YOU.

It's genuinely THAT simple to be an Ally and do the right thing!

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Now I can anticipate some of the critiques of my logic, so let's go through them, one by one.

1) Kids don't know what to do when they encounter a wheelchair or scooter. They are young and learning.

Answer:

Teach. Your. Kids. How. To. Behave. Safely. In. Public.

If they can't behave safely in public spaces, then they should not be unsupervised.

But honestly, 8 times out of 10, it isn't a young kid causing the problem. It's the adults!

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2) Why should the wheelchair user get to be first?

Answer:

Really?

Well first and foremost, it's a safety issue. We are ALL safer when crashes can be consistently avoided.

That said, when is the last time you saw a wheelchair user benefit from systemic privilege?

Heck, in some schools, offices, and hotels, wheelchair users are ABANDONED when fire alarms go off.

And even worse, sometimes support staff are TRAINED to leave wheelchair-users, behind.

Check. Your. Privilege.

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3) But why is this even a big deal? There aren't THAT many people using electronic scooters and wheelchairs, out there...or I would notice.

Answer:

Why do you think there are only a few?

Is it because lack of access, trauma, and systemic poverty are keeping them home?

Last year, the US Department of Transportation said we have about 5.5 MILLION wheelchair users in the USA.

To put that in perspective, in the United States, today, about

1 million school-kids play football,

1.6 are Episcopal Christians

1.8 Million folks are trans,

3 million are in the military,

and 5.5 million identify as Chinese

We aren't that uncommon.

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I hope you can get the word out.

It's such a SIMPLE way to make the world more INCLUSIVE.

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What is something that would make the world feel safer or more accessible to YOUR family?

Let me know in the comments.

*Picture of my mom at a Museum outing.

Both my parents use wheelchairs and due to my h-EDS and spinal disorder, sometimes I need them, too.