It's No Problem

We came into the lobby and were blown away. It was completely redesigned and really fresh and beautiful. It's a smaller chain known for room that are reasonably priced and for pretty good service. As we are in our 60s and as we'd been driving for hours our first request was for directions to the toilets. We were pointed in their general direction. There was a men's, a women's, and and all genders toilet, I was initially pleased to see the inclusivity until I noticed that none of them had the disabled symbol on them. I guessed that the all genders toilet would be the one and I guessed right.

Now I'm feeling a little bit bad for feeling a little bit annoyed. Why the loss of the disabled symbol? Knowing at a glance which washroom I can use is really helpful. Was I being petty? Was I simply tired and churlish? I don't know, but I felt that it was like the hotel saying, 'there's only so much diversity we can deal with so be grateful for what's here and hush up." When I mentioned the bathrooms to the clerk he went on and on about how nice it is to be welcoming to everyone. I pointed out the lack of disabled symbol and the guess I'd made. It was like talking to someone who cared a lot about what he already thought and didn't want to think any more thank you.

Then, after checking in, I wanted to go into the little shop beside the registration desk to get a snack for the room. It wasn't wheelchair accessible. They had these poles holding nicely designed curved frosted glass and at the bottom of the pole was a huge round disk. I suppose to others it would look pretty but to me it looked like a significant barrier. I tried and was right, I couldn't get in.

I remarked to the clerk that when doing renovations, which he had proudly spoken of while we were checking in, so I knew they were recently done, it would have made sense to have this area wheelchair accessible. He said, "But it's no problem, I can help get you what you want.?"

"That's not the point," I said, "I would like to go in and select myself, I can't even see everything from here."

He smiled at me like he would a child that didn't understand the way of the world.

I do understand the way of the world.

And the way of the web.

Yes, the letter is already written.

I should have kept count of how many of these I've written. I didn't realize upon becoming disabled that I'd become a prolific writer of letters documenting, to those who think we'd not notice, prejudice built and bigotry encountered. But they have to know we notice. They have to know.