We arrived in the custom hall and I busting for a pee. We found the loos and it was immediately evident that we were back in the UK. I love the accessible toilets here, it's one of my favourite things, as a disabled person, about the place. Nice, though medical looking, toilets. I made use of the facilities, and got back in my chair several pounds lighter. Joe met me, also looking relieved, and we headed off to find the queue that we belonged in.
A woman, looking like she'd never been to a training on disability or any other form of disability, pointed at us and then at a line and said, "You, medical, you go to medical, it's number one. Number one, medical. That's you. Medical."
I was caught up short and said, "Medical?" I was concerned because I thought that she thought I had some condition that I needed to be grilled about. She nodded and said, "Wheelchair, is medical, you are medical, go there, line one, medical."
I got in line one behind two wee, small, buses with people with canes and walkers in them. The were questioned and then the buses moved on and it was me. I rolled up prepared for medical questions, I didn't get any, my disability wasn't mentioned at all.
We left and went to get our luggage, which we were relieved, wasn't on a belt with a sign over it saying, "Medical, You, there. Medical here."
4 comments:
Maybe if it was it would be easier to find. Lmao
Well, at least you go to the loo first...always a priority after the plane trip....and it appears that this particular employee needs a repeat training.....
clairesmum
I can't quite decide if I am horrified or amused... Can't even imagine how anyone would react to that. I would have been beyond confused!
I'm glad you made the point of "Nice, though medical looking, toilets."
I thought it was 'just me' who wonders "why does every piece of equipment need to look like it's in a hospital?" When having modifications and equipment to aid mobility in my home, the last thing I want is for my home to look like a hospital.
I make a big effort to avoid chrome and stainless steel which has been difficult with recent popularity of stainless steel in home decorating trends. My friends and family don't 'get that' it only serves to remind me of hospitals (shudder). I can't think of anything further away from the safe, comforting, homely atmosphere I want to create. My aids are my 'furniture'.
Having a hospital style bathroom in a home reinforces to family and visitors the unwelcome, dehumanising notion that people with disabilities are not human beings with feelings but 'patients' (akin to objects and guinea pigs in science experiments), faceless numbers or statistics, burdensome problems to be solved.
Thank you for subtly acknowledging this issue in a single phrase.
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