Okay, now that I am in my dorm I shall explain what happened
So, here I am at a bus stop on campus listening to my ipod, minding my own business, when this girl comes up to me. I wasn’t really paying attention to her, I didn’t know her (nor did she appear like someone I wanted to know) and I just didn’t think much about it.
Then, I hear “are you okay?”.
I didn’t think much of it. I didn’t know anyone at the bus stop so why would anyone be talking to me?
Then, louder and more slowly “ARE YOU OKAY?”
At this point, I realize that she’s talking to me. Well. I slowly turn to her and say, “I was doing perfectly fine before some idiot started yelling at me because I’m in a wheelchair”.
Well, the rest of the people at the bus stop found this hilarious. So I guess it wasn’t all bad, but it’s still annoying to know there are people who just assume that because I’m in a wheelchair that I’m retarded.
that happens to me too. i don’t know why people assume we’re not okay. would they like if it they were just standing around minding their own business and we asked THEM if THEY were ok???
This is something that took me years to convince even my own family of. That asking someone if they are ok is not a kin to asking someone how are you, do you need anything. Are you ok implies so much more than how are you. It implies that there is something wrong, that there is something that they might need to be concerned bout and fix. How are you is simply an inquiry into your day. Even do you need anything is better because it can simply mean they are going to be busy and want to know if there is anything you might need them for. I ask people this before I go places too. Are you ok is presumptuous and a bit insulting. Why would something be wrong with me if I am not showing any signs of distress, mental or physical? I took to always answering that question “no I’m horrible, about to die even.” That eventually got the point across that asking a person are they ok simply because I’m in a chair isn’t a very cool thing to do.
(Source: pizzagangordie)
