[edlee]

Exclusion,,, as above,, some by others,, some by themselves. Society as a whole??? Not intentionally, I think. I've met noone,, yet,, that refused my request for help,, or had anything but a smile on their face after they helped.

Our exclusion, that isn't of our own making, is usually money-based. It costs more to build a building that is accessible than it does one that isn't. Left to themselves, people will build for what THEY need,, or what those THEY perceive as customers will need. We,, disabled,, are a minority. A rather small group in society as a whole. The only reason we are accommodated at all is because of laws passed on our behalf. And why were they passed??? Because people felt sorry for us.

Face it,, if they didn't there would be no accessibility regulations at all. There is a fine line between independence and our (the disabled community as a whole) ability to curry pity. I certainly don't relish the idea of someone pitying me,,, in fact I rather resent the idea,,, but I also realize that that is what gets me the ramps,, and the accessible bathrooms,, the lifts on buses,,, early seating on airplanes,,, the list goes on and on.

I don't feel pitied by my friends,, or most people I run into ( thank dog),, in fact I feel very accepted by them. It was just Tuesday when on arriving at the bar in which my pool team was to play a match that I found both entrances blocked to me by eight inch steps and doors that gave me less than 1/2 inch of clearance. It was three guys from the opposing team that got me both in and out. After that we played, argued, and drank just like we did when we played at more accessible sites.

We are only as marginalized as we allow ourselves to be. It takes more work on our part to avoid it than it did when we were AB,,, but WE have the choice as to whether or not to expend that extra effort. We are the ones who have to go out and DO,,, not sit back and wait for someone else to make it easy for us to do. Society,, in the main,, is glad to help anyone who wants to try to help themselves,,, it's those who sit at home and whine that give the rest of us a bad name.

In the end,,, if you want to do something,, do it,, if you find you can't,, do something else. The only way people will notice us is if we are out there to notice.
ed