#real conversations to be had about disability access esp when it comes to walking to stops and how none of the fucking elevators/ramps work

[floofyfluff]

literally just saw a post complaining about the state of public transit but like. full of people saying they couldn't transport 4x8 sheets of plywood on it solo. complaining about transit taking them 45 min to commute vs a 15 min car ride. upset that if they worked in the suburbs and lived in the city they had to drive to work to avoid a lengthy train commute. mad that it smelled like piss and was crowded. enraged they had a 10 minute walk from their train stop to work (walk that was seemingly acceptably safe but apparently the CLOSER stop was 'dangerous.' i assume bc someone sleeps on a bench there) sorry the entire world doesn't have the population density of fucking tokyo but grow up????

[thejoysofdessert]

I had new job orientation today.

You follow the normal script: first you tell the cripple that we will walk a block away from the store you're orienting this new employee to to go to the administrative offices where you will climb two flights of stairs with no elevator or chairlift to learn about the business.

(When you realize the new employee is a cripple with a cane you made walk a block, you feel guilty and ask if you can get the first stage orientation leader to come downstairs to do it. You already made the cripple walk a block. )

You're very accommodating. You feel good that you accommodated the disabled person. The orientation leader says "we need a table and chairs. Let's walk back to the store" and leads the cripple down a block walk back to the store. Walking through the parking lot, The cripple says hold on, I need to grab a higher tier mobility aid. And comes back with a rollator. The seat you have chosen has no curb cut available and the cripple has to lift her rolator onto the sidewalk to go sit down.

(You give your traditional spiel about the history of the company and this type of organization. You feel pretty good about it. Esp because the handicapped woman you're orienting fills in blanks and demonstrates advanced knowledge on the subject. Not thinking, you continue the traditional orientation script.)

You tell the cripple the next step in orientation is a store tour. You see the cripple struggling to walk so you go slowly.

(you feel good about being accommodating to the handicapped new employee with a mobility impairment. Moving slowly gives them time to catch up. You notice but say nothing when the cripple's legs begin failing.)

After the tour, you call the person running the last stage of orientation. You say "we're now going to walk to the break room, down this hill in another building." The cripple asks if she can drive. You reply that there really is no parking nearby.

(The handicapped new employee is falling down walking down the hill to the break room you know she cannot enter; it has a gravel path, two steps, a threshold transition, and too much on the floor to navigate a rollator through. You begin to feel very guilty. )

You and the cripple arrive at the break room. The cripple puts in significant effort to push a rollator across gravel. Your guilt grows strong and you reach out to grab the rollator, asking if you can help lift it over the step. The cripple brushes you off.

(You put a good faith gesture out there to help. You're conscience is clear.)

The cripple sits in her rollator just inside the door, just out of the way enough for real employees to pass by into the break room and sit at a table on break or lunch. The cripple looks around and sees an employee refrigerator that is behind tables and chairs with no wheelchair access. She sighs. You don't notice.

(The final orientation leader comes in to set up the cripple's payroll and employee account. She walks toward her usual spot but it's stopped by the differently abled person's rollator. You give a hasty apology and go the other way around the table to reach your computer. You smile and make friendly conversation with the differently abled woman. The cripple struggles to breathe and pops several glucose tabs chased by water.)

You set up the cripple's accounts and walk the cripple back to her car. She struggles to get back up the hill. You offer "nice to meet you. Have a nice day" and walk off when you both reach the parking lot. When you turn and leave, the cripple falls several feet from her car.