I recently wrote a post for The Mobility Resource addressing one of my biggest pet peeves: people who aren’t disabled using reserved accessible locations. The post was entitled 4 Places Able-Bodied People Should Never Be. In the post, I discussed the trouble with having access to handicap parking spaces and accessible dressing rooms, bathrooms, and showers blocked by people who truly do not have reasons to use these spaces. As my writing was shared among several disability-related social media outlets, I noticed that the post garnered incredibly mixed responses. So many people were supportive and quick to say that I was right on point, even adding their thoughts on some other accessible locations where they have experienced blocked access. However, about half the comments I received expressed frustration or anger not towards the people who unnecessarily block access, but towards me.
The reason my call to action for a simple way to improve access evoked multiple negative responses is due to a long standing divide within the disability community between people with visible disabilities and people with invisible disabilities. I have a visible disability; I use a wheelchair to get around. Hence, my post about accessible locations was most definitely colored by my perspectives as a person whose disability can be seen. Having a big old wheelchair attached to my butt ensures that people never question whether I belong in an accessible restroom stall or a handicap parking space. Unfortunately, unlike me, people with invisible disabilities – disabilities that are not apparent when just looking – are constantly subjected to judgment and suspicion when they use reserved accessible spaces.
I cannot fully put myself in the shoes of people with invisible disabilities, but I can most certainly relate to their frustrations over discrimination. And I imagine it must be incredibly wearisome to feel some kind of obligation to constantly explain yourself by revealing private details of medical conditions or disabilities in order to justify use of an accessible location. This kind of nosy prejudice absolutely needs to stop.
That being said, I wish people with invisible disabilities weren’t so quick to assume that, as one commenter on social media asserted, people with visible disabilities are acting as their “worst enemies.” This kind of arbitrary polarization within the disability community is a major hindrance to successfully advocating for disability rights. By working against each other instead of with each other as a unified community, progress will be hard to come by.
I want to stress that I absolutely understand the importance of advocating specifically against discrimination towards people with invisible disabilities. In no way was my post on places where able-bodied people should never be intended to be discriminatory against people with invisible disabilities. When I urged people who aren’t disabled to stay out of reserved access locations, I truly meant people who are not disabled. I never presumed to have the right to judge whether a person is disabled or not. As a mater of fact, when addressing why able-bodied people should not use accessible shower facilities, I explicitly acknowledged that I should “give the woman (using the accessible shower) the benefit of the doubt that perhaps she had a hidden disability.”
Even so, I’m sure that most people with invisible disabilities must rarely get the “benefit of the doubt” when people look at them and make snap judgments that they either aren’t disabled or aren’t disabled “enough.” Therefore, I’m genuinely wondering how people with invisible disabilities prefer such situations be handled. Here are my thoughts:
If a person has a handicap-parking placard, don’t question them when they park in an accessible space no matter what their appearance. The placard means it is legal for that person to park there and it is not anyone’s business why. And if you see a person who doesn’t appear to have a visible disability using an accessible facility in places like restrooms, locker rooms, or dressing rooms, don’t be quick to judge. If it comes down to it, I believe the most polite way to handle the situation would be to ask something along the lines of “Excuse me, do you need this accessible space? If not, may I use it?” I know this still implies that a person with an invisible disability is not, in fact, rightfully using the space, but I think being polite is better than demanding to know personal details or making rude comments like “You don’t belong here.”
The most important thing is that whether your disability is visible or invisible, you have to take responsibility for using public spaces appropriately. For example, if you have an invisible disability that allows you to legally park in an accessible spot, but you know that you can fit in a regular restroom stall and don’t need to hold on to railings, then just leave the larger accessible stall open. It is everyone’s job to determine their own access needs and avoid using accessible locations unless it is truly a necessity. If people with all types of disabilities work together to educate the public about proper use of accessible facilities, we will all benefit in the long term. So, if you have a hidden disability, I hope you’ll consider educating both people with visible disabilities and people without disabilities on the best ways to handle tricky access situations instead of considering us your enemies.
My passion for advocacy extends to the entire disability community, and if I make true slip-ups regarding disabilities other than my own, I genuinely want people to call my attention to it. But please don’t assume that advocating for myself as a person with a visible disability automatically means that I am advocating against the rights of people with invisible disabilities. I was writing based on personal experiences and my post was not meant to leave anyone out. It was meant for people who truly do not have disabilities to internalize and remember the importance of not blocking access. No matter what type of disability a person has, I always have been and always will be 100% on their side when it comes to working for equality, acceptance, access, and ending prejudice.
What are your ideas for the disability community to come together to advocate for accessibility?
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