I decided to simulate a disability by renting a wheelchair from the mall and spending an hour navigating through it. I chose this simulation to gain a firsthand understanding of the challenges people in wheelchairs face in their everyday lives. Many activities that people without disabilities take for granted require modification and extra effort for wheelchair users.
After witnessing the daily challenges faced by wheelchair users, I was inspired to find ways to make classrooms more accessible for them. Given the chance, my goal would be to create an inclusive environment where students in wheelchairs have equal learning opportunities. To pursue this objective, on February 3rd, 2011 at 11:00 AM, I visited the Marketplace Mall in Henrietta, NY. This visit provided me with a fresh perspective as I experienced navigating the mall in a wheelchair instead of my usual visits.
One major challenge I faced was maneuvering through stores with closely spaced clothing racks. These narrow aisles made it difficult to navigate and access racks in the center. Even without a wheelchair, I had experienced the difficulties before, but doing it in a wheelchair was almost impossible.
Going to the mall alone is enjoyable, but it becomes challenging and exhausting when using a wheelchair. Having someone accompany me is much more convenient as they can push me around and help navigate through the stores. Thankfully, visiting on a Thursday afternoon meant it wasn’t overly crowded, alleviating concerns about maneuvering around other customers. Considering the bulkiness of wheelchairs, I can imagine how frustrating it would be for people trying to walk around me during busy periods. Moreover, avoiding accidentally bumping into others would also become annoying.
On less busy days, the mall was easily accessible. However, wheelchair users faced difficulties on weekends, particularly Saturdays or Sundays, due to high congestion levels. The holiday season made malls crowded almost every day of the week, making Christmas shopping even more challenging. Additionally, certain stores had dressing rooms that were inaccessible with small doors and narrow passages leading to fitting rooms.
It is impossible for a wheelchair to fit through the narrow alleyways or doors. Consequently, if a store lacks handicap accessible dressing rooms, individuals in wheelchairs have to physically leave the wheelchair and walk into the dressing room instead of simply wheeling in. For those who are completely unable to walk and rely on a wheelchair, trying on clothes in these stores without assistance would be practically impossible.
Even if the person has a wheelchair but can walk to some extent, trying on clothes in one of these stores would still be very difficult and possibly even dangerous. The food court poses similar challenges, with closely spaced tables and fixed chairs that cannot be moved, making it very difficult to find a suitable table for dining. I had no choice but to select an outside table, which meant two things. Firstly, individuals in wheelchairs have only a limited number of tables to choose from, forcing them to essentially wait for people sitting at the outside tables to leave.
On a busy Saturday, it proved to be challenging to navigate the restaurant. The empty tables in the middle were left unused because they were inaccessible. Being shorter, I struggled to reach the food counter. Some of the condiments were placed at a higher level, so I had to seek assistance from an employee. During my disability simulation assignment, I not only noted my own difficulties but also observed the experiences of others.
I wanted to observe the reactions and expressions of the workers and other customers when they saw someone in a wheelchair. I observed that many people were staring, pointing, and whispering upon seeing me in a wheelchair. I believe what caught people’s attention and sparked their curiosity the most was seeing someone at my age in a wheelchair without any visible signs of a disability. I presume that a lot of the people were trying to determine the exact reason why I needed a wheelchair. Typically, individuals in wheelchairs are usually older or exhibit easily recognizable signs of a disability.
Overall, it seemed like many people were curious about why I, a young person, needed a wheelchair. Additionally, I noticed that the employees were less attentive to me compared to someone who wasn’t in a wheelchair. Whenever I or another customer needed assistance with a product, the employees would typically prioritize helping the other customer before assisting me. This might have been unintentional, but it felt as if they believed the other person was more likely to make a purchase and therefore deserved attention first.
I conducted a small experiment to observe people’s reactions and how they chose to interact with me. While shopping, I intentionally dropped one of my bags on the floor, making it seem challenging for me to retrieve it without getting out of my wheelchair. Initially, I pretended to make an effort to reach the bag and see if someone would voluntarily offer their assistance. However, after several individuals walked by without lending a hand, I decided to push the experiment further. I asked the next person who walked by if they could pick up the bag for me.
Despite the fact that they did, the person exhibited distant and fearful behavior towards me. It appeared as if they viewed me as having a contagious illness that could be passed on if they got too close. Initially, I was truly surprised by their reaction. I could never envision reacting in such a way to someone in a wheelchair or with any disability. However, over time, I began to comprehend the rationale behind their response. The lack of visible evidence clarifying why I used a wheelchair not only confused that individual but also those nearby. People tend to fear what they cannot understand.
If I had a cast on my leg to indicate that it was fractured, perhaps people would have been more receptive. While using a wheelchair, I noticed individuals pointing and whispering to each other, making me think about whether I have done the same thing before. Although I cannot remember a specific moment, I am sure that I have. After going through this simulation, I will make an effort not to judge people with disabilities. I understand that much of it is unconscious or comes from our tendency to question unfamiliar things. However, now that I have personally experienced it, I believe I will be better at managing my thoughts regarding disabilities.
Now, in regards to my future career goal, completing this assignment has truly enhanced my comprehension of the daily challenges faced by disabled children in the classroom. A prominent issue is the inadequate arrangement of classrooms that include wheelchair-bound students. Often, desks are closely placed together, leaving minimal space for a wheelchair-bound child to access the board or move around the room. Furthermore, teachers should ensure that their learning centers are arranged to accommodate wheelchair users.
One effective method for accommodating children in wheelchairs is to arrange desks in pairs, leaving adequate space between them for wheelchair accessibility. Drawing from my personal experiences at the mall and how people react towards me, it is imperative that younger students participate in activities aimed at promoting disability awareness. These activities are invaluable for equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to interact effectively with individuals who have disabilities, especially if they lack prior experiences or interactions.
From my perspective, the absence of disability education among students frequently leads to bullying when they come across disabled children. Personally, I never received any instruction on disabilities during my school years. Consequently, when I had interactions with disabled individuals at a young age, I experienced significant discomfort and uncertainty about how to act around them. Furthermore, I firmly advocate for teachers actively encouraging families to educate their children about people with disabilities. Parents can read books that foster awareness of disabilities and participate in exercises promoting disability awareness at home.
The disability awareness assignment has been advantageous for me in personal and professional aspects. It has given me an understanding of how others perceive individuals with disabilities. Before, I had not realized how differently abled individuals are treated or perceived, nor was I aware of people’s reactions towards them. However, this assignment has made me realize that I may have unintentionally stared at individuals with disabilities previously. Moving forward, I will be more conscious of my actions and make sure to refrain from repeating such behavior.
Experiencing being starred and pointed at made me realize how unsettling it can be. I am unsure if there is a way to enhance this assignment because it effectively portrayed the daily challenges and feelings faced by individuals with disabilities. As a future teacher, I strongly suggest others who will work with the public to undertake a similar exercise in order to understand the obstacles faced by diverse individuals.
