Getting Around Mobility Issues

An individual’s time in school can be quit rough depending on his or her circumstances.  The people in charge of the public school system as well as secondary education are not fit to run institutions in general.  This is especially true when mobility is involved in regards to people with disabilities. 

During my high school and college years, I had quite a difficult time with trying to get around.  I went to high school in Reisterstown Maryland.  The school was all one level, but it had a few sets of stairs that separated each wing of the school.  In order for me to get down a set of stairs, I had to use a lift that required a key every day that school was in session.  The principal of the school would not allow me to have my own key to the lift in order to operate traverse the school of my own free will.  One of technicians at the school had to ride down with me every day so that I could get to my fourth period class during my junior year.  This solution to my issue was a terrible one. 

I had a similar issue when I went to Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg Maryland.  I had to visit the library in order to find information for papers that I had to write for all of my different classes.  The school was built in the 1800s, and so there was only so much the school could do to accommodate people with disabilities.  I had to call the librarian every time I wanted to visit the library.  He or she would then let me in through some sort of basement entrance.  The elevator that went up to the main floor could barely hold the wheelchair that I used to get around.  The people who ran the library would not let me have my own key.  I had to call the person on duty up quite often just so I could search for books. 

It is kind of sad that there were not any alternative options for people such as myself.  Everyone has the right to get a good education.  I guess I was lucky that the library also had an online database to look for information as well, but that is not a solution to the problem I faced.  I do not see why places cannot just have some electronic lock with a secret code by an entrance that is accessible to everyone.  There would be no more issues with mobility if this kind of measure was put into place.  Everyone could come and go wherever without having to call someone else to let him or her inside.  Maybe this idea will be implemented in every type of education facility one day.  We will just have wait and see. 

Reformation of The Social Security Administration

The Social Security system is one of the worst federal programs of all time.  The requirement for receiving benefits needs to be changed to include disabilities of varying degrees.  Having a disability is not an issue that only resides within two extreme ends of a spectrum.  Different people have different needs depending how their disability impacts their lives. 

The way Social Security is set up as of right now is a complete disgrace.  The only people receiving benefits are those who would be considered impaired beyond the point of functioning well in society.  I feel bad for the individuals that are mentally challenged to the point where they cannot understand what is going on around them on a day to day basis.  This is truly a sad sight to behold.  These people definitely deserve the maximum benefits available without question.  The only real issue lies with those who are considered to be high functioning individuals.  The argument from Social Security as it stands now is that those that are high functioning do not need benefits because they can work.  This kind of thinking does not take into account the way in which those with disabilities are high functioning.    

I am a clear example of someone who is a functioning individual that could definitely use some assistance from Social Security.  I am not able to drive because I have Cerebral Palsy.  Social Security would argue that I could use public transportation in order to get around, but the administration seems to forget that public transportation does not go everywhere.  I work for a utility company that has offices in places where public transportation does not travel.  Using Uber or Lyft every day would not be the best option from a financial standpoint.  In other words, either I waste all of my monetary resources on rides to work to prove that transportation drains my finances or I quit my job and earn less than what I am receiving now. 

If someone has had a disability since birth or has been impaired in some way due to an accident for a longer period than what would be considered “short term” then he or she should automatically qualify to receive benefits in some form from Social Security.  All that should be required is a letter from a doctor explaining the details of the impairment.  The amount of income that is earned through employment should not play too much of a role in whether or not an individual should receive benefits.  If a person is going to be disabled for the remainder of his or her life, then there should not be a question of whether or not he or she is eligible to receive Social Security.  One size does not fit all when it comes to having a disability.  Once corporate America wakes up from its slumber, then everyone in society can evolve to a higher state of being. 

Shopping for Shoes can be a Chore

The issue of Cerebral Palsy can be quite the dilemma on a day to day basis.  The disability always reminds me that the simple things in life are the most important.  My trip to a discount department store was a rather nerve racking and tiresome experience. 

I live in a county within the central Baltimore area. I was in desperate need of some new shoes due to tearing a hole in the left shoe of my old pair.  I tend to drag my left foot a little when I walk.  My posture in regards to my left foot is not the greatest in the world.  I tend to wear out the big toe area of my left shoe regardless of which pair I am wearing at the time.  The hole was big enough for a finger to touch my toes without any kind of issue.

 I decided to take a ride up to my local Target store.  I finally reached the store around 5 P.M. one Tuesday evening.  I went over to the shoe department only to realize only a single pair of shoes was in my size.  The benches that the store had were extremely small.  I barely had enough room to sit down let alone struggle with putting on a cramped pair of shoes.  I tried getting my right foot into a shoe first, and could not complete the task whatsoever.  I sat in the shoe department for fifteen minutes trying to get the right shoe on my foot until I finally decided to call it a day and go home.  I might have had an easier time if the bench I was sitting on had more room, but there was nothing I could do.  I realized that I should have just purchased shoes online.  I left the store empty handed that evening

This whole ordeal my not seem so huge to some, but it is quite the mountain when one does not have a solid pair of shoes to wear outside of the home.  Most shoe companies only seem to cater to those with larger feet.  The experience at my local Target store made me feel like a second class citizen to some degree.  I only hope that things change for the better in the future.