It was late when we checked into the hotel. We ran into a lot of delays and I'm delighted to say that none of them were disability related, we simply shared the frustrations of the crowds. That may sound odd but sometimes I'm glad that its not about me, my chair or what I'm able to do.
After checking in the hotel clerk came round to where I was sitting in my chair, he knelt down, clipboard in hand, and said he'd like, if I wished, to go over a form with him. It was an emergency procedures form that they fill out with people who have all kinds of disabilities. It had questions that allowed me to direct them with what exactly to do should there be an emergency.
I agree and together we went through the form, it only took four or five minutes to complete. None of the questions were embarrassing or inappropriate, they all focused to the task of keeping me safe.
When we were done I told him that I appreciated the hotel's approach to my safety and that, though he might not believe it, the simple exercise made me feel safer.
In truth it made me feel safer for two reasons. First they had a plan that I had been involved in creating. I wasn't just a random guest in a dusty binder on a seldom read page about safety and accessibility, this was a live document. Second, that they did this at all tells me something about how they view guests with disabilities and how they value us as people - not just anonymous guests.
So I slept well.
Probably due to exhaustion but, maybe I felt just a wee bit safer.
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