Are you trapped at home?
Whenever I get back to Toronto I'm struck by how many people are out and about who have visible disabilities.
It's not because Toronto has more visibly disabled people than other places, it's because Toronto is a city that acknowledges that all people are worth including.
Toronto is hardly a utopia for those with limited mobility or the other sorts of medical needs that make leaving the house a challenge. But it's worlds ahead of most other places, where people are essentially imprisoned in their homes. And when people with disabilities are imprisoned, their caregivers are, too.
I was talking to a home health aide in Asheville. She stopped taking clients out to restaurants after several incidents where she and her client were asked to leave because their being there, eating, was disturbing other patrons.
Which I want to be shocked by, but of course I'm not. This is a world where we had the Ugly Laws until recently. The visibly disabled were lumped in with criminals and it was illegal for them to be seen in public.
Several community leaders in Asheville were talking about what would make the city safer for homeless people. The list was: public washrooms, needle disposal sites, public spaces with flexible seating and protection from the weather, expanded public transportation.
The thing about making spaces accessible for people with health issues is that it makes those spaces comfortable for everyone.
Far too many people view that as a bad thing.
PS. Has the place you lived done something to make it easier for you to participate in your community? Hit 'reply' and let me know!