[TMIC] Handicap parking
WWJD5684(AT)aol.com
Fri, 16 Apr 1999 12:13:29 EDT
I would like to comment on the story that was published about handicap
parking. I am 42 years old & became disabled 2 years ago due to a back
injury. Presently I have to use a cane to help me with walking. At first it
was very embarrassing to me but, I learned the hard way that I would be
rather be embarrassed than fall & risk injuring myself further. I have been
stared at & even told by strangers that I was to young to be using a cane. At
first the stares & comments hurt. Then I realized that people are just
uneducated. I never realized how difficult it was for a handicap person until
I became one. There are times that I have been appalled at the insensitivity
of lazy people leaving grocery buggies in handicap space or a driver parking
in a marked handicap space waiting on a passenger that has run into the store
for just a few items. I guess they must think that if they are just waiting
in the space that this makes it OK. Then I have seen sales people that use
the handicap parking space to carry in merchandise.
Not all disabilities can be seen. Just because a person doesn't walk with
a cane or use a wheelchair doesn't mean that they are not disabled. Take some
heart & cancer patients for example they do not have to use visible aides for
walking. There are also rare illness that people have that do not always
require visible aids to walk for example Guillian-Barre Syndrome that affects
1 or 2 people out of 100,000 or Transverse Myelitis. I had never heard of any
of these rare illness until my 14 year old daughter was diagnosis on 1-21-99.
My hope is that this letter will help educate some people on non-visible
disabilities or even visible disabilities but, at young ages. Before judgment
is passed on the next visually healthy looking person please remember just
because you can't see it doesn't mean it is not there. We can't see a lot of
things but, it still exists for example the air we breath. If you are not a
disabled person then try being thankful instead of judgmental.
Sincerely, Gale in SC