Accepting Vulnerability

Diversity.

Change.

Adaptation.

These are just a few examples of words you may hear floating across the disabled community and in any population with vulnerability as one of their top priorities. As a disabled person myself, I often wish for a place completely catered to me and others like me. I just wish that things were more easily accessible and easier for us to get around. It’s already hard enough to get around in our normal daily lives. Then, when we wish to go into the outside world, these complications are made even harder.

For example, not having accessible transport in most cities, and if they do, it can be awfully unreliable leaving us to wait forever for someone to pick us up at the end of the day so that we may go home just like everyone else. If you have ever met a person with a disability who has a fear about functioning in the real world, this is the reasoning. It is even scarier and unpredictable for us.

Imagine for a second, having to worry about those steep steps that normally most people would just climb with only a little huff. It’s not necessarily because they don’t care, but because they don’t have to consider it that builders don’t always keep our needs in mind.

I am not trying to call anyone out. I am not trying to call anyone WHO CAN climb stairs without thinking about the disabled who can’t any less compassionate. I am just saying it would be interesting to see the change that MIGHT be enacted if some of the able-bodied folks had to use a wheelchair for a week or simply a day. I think just from people having to experience what others like me do, there could be some massive reform with accessibility, reform, and change. I think that sort of experiment could make a normally extremely compassionate person even more apt to reenact some sort of change on behalf of diversity and interest for the disabled.

What would be even more interesting would be to see the respect level for the disabled drastically increase after living like we do. I am not going to act like I have the answers. However, one thing I do know is that the vulnerable populations should be treated with equal respect. I know not all disabled people are able to “contribute” by working, but there are plenty that can, and they should be rewarded with acceptance and accessibility.

The struggle does not act alone. It is universal. It is something we all deal with, but if more wished to cooperate with each other to make things easier, maybe we wouldn’t be so vulnerable anymore. I just wish equal treatment was not so elusive, but I guess for now our only choice is to keep chasing it until our last breath.

Karla Culbertson

Karla is a 33 year old independent writer. She is wheelchair dependent due to Cerebral Palsy, chronic pain, and hip dysplasia, but she does not let that stop her from enjoying life. It is Karla's goal in life to inspire and uplift others. She loves writing positive blog posts that may have the potential of inspiring others and bettering their lives.

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