With friends like these . . .
- 19 Oct 05, 12:00 AM
Before I saw this story - - I wouldn't have thought it possible that I could ever take umbrage at a news item which discourages abuse of disabled parking pays. But this is shocking. It starts badly with that title and, astonishingly, gets worse.
Those of us who are physically impaired bear "a magnitude of difficulties", apparently. And misuse of disabled parking bays adds an additional load to the "already-oppressive burden shouldered by persons suffering from a physical disorder". This language doesn't derive from the medical model of disability: no, it comes from the lesser-seen and, frankly, even more offensive, tragedy model.
Do I need to use a disabled bay? Yes. Is this because my life is a tragic and intolerable burden? No. And I object to the implication that it might be.
So thanks, Donna Mae Bean of the Kennebec Journal. Appreciate your support and all that. Just one quick question, though. Complete stab in the dark. Wild guess. You're not actually disabled, are you?
Editor's note: Ouch would like to offer our sincere apologies to Lady Bracknell for not being to able to provide a new Things That Make Me Very Angry blog category specifically for this post. Sorry.
Comments
Thanks Lady B for clarifying in my mind what it was about my (late) aunt's attitude to my disabled son that really p***d me off! I now see that it was that she subscribed to the "tragedy model of disability" that you have so abley routed out here! The pained expression when she asked about him, the drop in pitch at the end of every sentence she spoke related to him (try it and you'll see the effect!) All come together to create the "terrible burden" effect.