Dear Readers,
I had an interesting experience with the city bus a month or so ago and wanted to share it. As most of you know, Michigan can get rather snowy this time of year. With snow plows clearing the roadss, many sidewalks have four or more feet of snow piled on them.
I was climbing over a rather hefty snow pile to wait for the city bus a while back. The stops are rarely plowed. When I stepped onto the bus, the driver told me that I should call the bus station to have them plow the stop. She saw my disability bus pass, which allows me to ride for free, and said, "If they know you have that kiind of card, they'll plow it for you."
I found myself sitting on the bus with a frown on my face. I should be grateful that a simple piece of plastic could help give me access to something like a snowless bus stop. Instead, I find myself questioning this principle. Why should I as someone with a disability have a service done for me soley because of my disability, when that service would greatly benefit other people? Should non-disabled people have to risk falling on icy slopes to get onto a bus?
I got to thinking about some of the decisions we make. We certainly need to prioritize things, because we cannot do absolutely everything. Perhaps for my city, plowing sidewalks is not a priority. Still, when we think about providing access for people who have "disabilities" we can actually provide better access for all people. We need to rethink what access looks like with this perspective. We can serve all people when we make decisions that include all people.
Sing as one,
sjc
