Its kind of silly to expect everywhere to be handicap accessible. amirite?

Yeah. Not even being able to access places that could be made accessible and just aren't are so frustrating We (the disabled community) are often seen as less than or not as important, in my opinion because we cannot participate in society or jobs like others. It is seen as we are not providing anything for society so why should we deserve to get all the benefits But truly, trying to go place after place, some you can get in but can't even go to the bathroom, is such a hard battle to deal with everyday. Let alone the frustrations that come with not being able to walk around or do these activities easily. I wouldn't wish the feeling on anyone. Of wanting to do something but it just won't work for your body. It feels like we aren't needed to most people when none of us are burdens and we all deserve a chance to participate in whatever we want

by TodayHour 1 month ago

The maths in your second sentence does not check out.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

You can look up how many people are disabled in whatever country you like, then you can look up how many people are worldwide. It definitely makes sense that millions per country added together equals billions. 2+2 doesn't equal 1. Or perhaps forgive me, I didn't put in ratio to those who aren't disabled.

by Anabellewalsh 1 month ago

The World Health Organization estimates approximately 1.3 billion people with significant disability world-wide.

by baileekunze 1 month ago

There are 8 billion people on earth, if there were billions of disabled people that wouldn't be a small percentage. Millions and millions also don't add up to billions; a billion is 1000 million, so having a few million handicapped people in a country doesn't mean that's half a billion.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Wow how scary! I'm glad you were able to recover fully and thank you for your empathy. It is a crazy difference and people truly can't understand it until they've lived through it. I'm glad yours was temporary!

by TodayHour 1 month ago

Thank you!

by Anabellewalsh 1 month ago

If your friend is upset by occasional accessibility issues in the US, wait until he sees … almost anyplace else in the world. We pretty much lead the league in this department. There won't be a bunch of ramps and lifts and wide-diameter access waiting for him in French chateaux or Japanese train stations or Irish hotels.

by Loud-Teach-1066 1 month ago

Nothing like waiting in line for the tiny, hot Japanese elevator that is tucked away down a labyrinth of hallways. I could not imagine navigating that place in a wheelchair.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

This is an incredibly reasonable take. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be to get confined to a wheelchair. I would likely lash out at the world as well sometimes

by Bkuhn 1 month ago

Totally agree with you. I also tend to think that sometimes people focus their frustration of certain things where the frustration is actually coming from just a general frustration over your life situation. My dad resently got a life altering diagnosis. He started getting angry about so many things now. Why are the stairs so uneven and dangerous in this historical building (there was a sign and proper handrail) for example.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

As a disabled person, I think this is more him just letting out frustration about inaccessability as a whole, not blaming it on the park trails or the old people. Might be wrong tho, idk

by Anonymous 1 month ago

He might be more upset that the planned trip has gone to a bunch of places that aren't accessible to him. It's not that the places themselves are inaccessible, but did he plan the trip? Or was he invited only to find out that the place he's been invited is inaccessible. He might be taking out that frustration at the venues because he doesn't want to snap at whoever planned the trip.

by cletusschmidt 1 month ago

Woodlands maybe. Cities, no. Handicap accessibility is universal accessibility.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Sounds like bro just wants to vent. Being disabled sucks and sometimes verbalizing frustrations aloud feels good.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Cities should be build with accessibility in mind because it litterally benefits evryone or will benefit evryone at some point in Thair life. In General, anywhere that ppl can reasonably be expected in thair general life has to be accessible to as many ppl as possible aiming for all of them. But no. Nature shouldn't be adapted to fit our needs soully because it's harmful to the investment. Maybe one or two big accessible trails at a park is reasonable but we can't and shouldn't adapt it all.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Holy spelling, batman.

by Fadelcamila 1 month ago

You're good; gave me a chuckle

by Fadelcamila 1 month ago

soully because it's harmful to the investment help 😭

by Useful_Yellow 1 month ago

As someone with a spouse who is mostly in a wheelchair when we go out, why do yall think wheelchair ramps are ludicrously expensive to build?? There's even portable/movable versions readily available lol

by Wilkinsonjalen 1 month ago

A good question for the small business owner. I suspect it's because they feel the cost of the ramp would cut into their profits more than it would bring in enough business to pay for itself.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Thats what braille is for

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Lmao thanks girl, bet you killed it in medical school

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Ya or I have blind family members. Why the attitude?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

yeah i'm not sure their point because we might not increase the size of text but we definitely add braille to a lot of signs

by Brilliant-Hold6079 1 month ago

its kind of ridiculous to expect the world to cater to a very small number of people. Eventually everyone is handicapped. It will happen to you or you'll die before it does.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I agree with what you're saying. I totally understand that places should be handicap accessible but it's not possible to have it that way everywhere. It's just an unfortunate truth and your friend has to understand that. He can always plan his trips by researching which ones are access friendly to avoid being disappointed.

by External-Arm 1 month ago

It sounds like your friend was expressing upset about not being able to experience something he wanted to experience that most other people can. I don't think the logistics are what he's really frustrated with.

by sdickinson 1 month ago

as a disabled person, hes probably just venting. obviously not everywhere is going to be accessible, and that can be frustrating whether it is logical or not.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

So I agree that neither of those places needed to be handicap accessible, that seems pretty logically obvious. But did your friend maybe just need to vent valid frustration about these things? Did he maybe just need his friend to listen and empathize? (I wasn't there, maybe you did a great job of that.) I've been in a wheelchair in the past and I think it's a universally frustrating experience. Not being able to get to a place you want to access really sucks. If your friend is being logically unreasonable in the heat of the moment, maybe just be a good listener. Later, when he's vented, he might think differently. (Or not, y'know some people are illogical and self-centered, including some disabled people because we are people after all.)

by Impossible-Coast 1 month ago

There are cities that are inaccessible due to the way it is built

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Hey OP, it kinda just sounds like your friend, who was experiencing a moment in which a disability they have was impacting their life, was venting their frustration to you, and you went online to talk about how ridiculous they are for having feeling and expressing them to a friend?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

This is not unpopular but despicable. Shame on you

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Sure bud, keep making yourself feel better.

by Inside-War8825 1 month ago

Well, he has to live in that wheelchair and you don't. So I would imagine that navigating the world is just a little bit more frustrating for him than it is for you. You think you're being logical but it's really just privilege.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Being privileged doesn't mean you should feel guilty or unworthy—that misses the point entirely. The idea is to recognize privilege and understand how it shapes your experiences compared to those who don't have the same advantages.

by AgeNo3291 1 month ago

Well I'm glad you understood my point. It's not a slam against anyone, it's a philosophical musing about our placement and purpose regarding experience and traits.

by Fadelcamila 1 month ago

Nah if the word privledge makes him thing "undeserving or guilt" he should sit with that feeling and figure out why that is. Literally not what the word means at all

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Well whatever it is that you said, just know that I'm pushing back against the zeitgeist of that word/label in our culture as a whole, not against you as a person.

by Fadelcamila 1 month ago

No, you're missing my point completely. Words carry weight, especially when a societal movement has attached itself to a word. And you're "feel" of why I'm saying this couldn't be more incorrect.

by Fadelcamila 1 month ago

Precisely. It's a problem because well, he can't go where it's not accessible. Especially if it wouldn't be difficult to do something.

by Maximum-Bill-7868 1 month ago

So, one day the wheelchair dude can make it, the next a person on a roll around ventilator bed cannot. Where does it end?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Absurd pearl clutching and slippery slope fallacy.

by Loud-Requirement 1 month ago

Let's be realistic. It's not unreasonable for public places to be handicap accessible. I have someone in my life who's handicap and I've seen the challenges that they faced to go somewhere simple such as as a store. I've never in my life laid eyes on someone who was vented out and about doing normal things. I doubt you have either. Using that to make a point is just.. not it.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Where it's reasonable? If there's plenty of space, why not a ramp?

by Maximum-Bill-7868 1 month ago

Because it's a rural nature trail. Because the sort of ramp that wouldn't get them sued would bankrupt the old couple That's why FFS 🤷

by Earlinerice 1 month ago

True. Any business should be able to afford it, though. Like, $40,000 with a loan done through a company that handles it? I would be surprised if you couldn't get charity or a grant to cover it if you really were too small a business, but had the space. If space is a problem, then obviously it's unreasonable.

by Maximum-Bill-7868 1 month ago

You know you can walk up ramps right?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Making places accessible benefits everyone in the long run. Eg, a ramp alongside stairs makes going up with a heavy suitcase easier. Escalators are a time saver for everyone. I agree with you that expecting the wild to be made accessible is taking it too far, but I think that a rule to enforce this on private businesses would be beneficial along with financial aid so nobody could complain that it's too much of an investment for a small gain.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It generally sounds like you lack empathy for not only your friend, but for people who live in this world that is not meant for them. I'm sure your friend realizes that not everywhere is going to be accessible for him but in case you haven't realized a lot of places aren't anyway. Sounds like he was venting to you about his frustrations and you're running to the Internet saying that it's silly the world be accessible for him. I hope he never sees this. And to the people who are actually disabled, I'm sorry that you have to read this as well.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I mean, this sounds less like someone expecting 100% accessibility and more like someone complaining they wasted the time on a trip. I imagine if you drove all the way out to a remote location only to find it was closed that day, even when the service had ample opportunity to warn you, you'd have basically the exact same complaint. Plus this person is probably dealing with that much more frequently and has a harder time physically making that journey.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

How do you not understand your friend?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Because accessibility routes have to be built to code, it's not a matter of throwing down some boards. If you don't build to code you open yourself up to liability and lawsuits.

by emilio29 1 month ago

Not sure where you're based, but in the US it's been law for over 30 years that the fish shack has accessible parking, entrance, seating, and toilet facilities. And if you didn't, you were required to make improvements toward that goal each year. For 15 years, it's been fully required and no more "grandfathering" of existing places of business. People who continue to ignore this are simply being cruel. Other countries vary widely on accessibility laws, but most have them. And any business owner who turns away customers just because they don't walk very well is a fool.

by Shadgulgowski 1 month ago

You're just being obtuse

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I mean, you did say "fish stand"

by Anonymous 1 month ago

That's not what he said, you're strawmanning harder than the guy from the Wizard of Oz

by Anonymous 1 month ago

A lot of this is cultural. America has the America with Disabilities Act which requires pretty much everywhere that's open to the general public be handicap accessible. As a result, that's become a cultural expectation. When I first went to Europe realized that expectation is NOT universal. With some exceptions, I think most places should be accessible. Even a small business, it's pretty cheap and not time consuming to get your handicap parking permit and put up the sign/paint the spot. And in terms is business expenses, a ramp is cheap. Agreed that some outdoor spaces (nature trails) aren't going to be accessible. Some areas of National Parks are hardly accessible to non-handicapped persons. I also think there should be exceptions for historical sites. The Anne Frank house is not accessible, and you can't make it so without destroying what makes it worth preserving. Same with Edinburg Castle. Parts of Alcatraz, Mesa Verde (Native America cliff dwellings)… just no way to make them 100% accessible without destroying them.

by Most-Bug7412 1 month ago

I used to work at a pub and some woman got mad at me because we didn't have a disabled toilet Bearing in mind this is a pub from 1700s, there is no room for one

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Cartman covered this issue quite extensively on SouthPark.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

When my kids were babies, I was shocked at how many secret elevators there were (for baby carriages and strollers). I live in a city that is 900 years old. I never noticed this stuff before.

by Wiegandkeagan 1 month ago

It all costs money, and at this point the public won't even fund Medicare and social security

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I live in UK, with a disabled wife and thousands of-year-old buildings that have been made accessible by simple adaptations. I get frustrated when people don't even try, but I accept that not everywhere can be made accessible. There's no excuse for buildings less than 50 years old to be inaccessible though.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It's easy for you to say, you're able to access these places with no questions. I'm a disability support worker and the amount of times my clients miss out on things due to their abilities being overlooked. Even going down the footpath can be difficult due to people parking across it or it just ending. The nature thing is a bit unreasonable to have expectations on, but he's probably just venting about his general situation. He's probably missed out on so much stuff in his life due to people not thinking about other abilities.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Why is the climbing gym not wheelchair friendly?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Next time he starts up just ask him "Are you actually going to do something about it or are you just going to complain again?" Unless he's willing to do something about it he's just a whiny entitled person with a victim complex that likes to make others miserable just to hear his own head rattle. Get ready to shut him down or suffer through his useless bs because, he's going to come home with a lot of complaints about his vacation.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I agree that the things they were frustrated about are genuinely impossible to make accessible sometimes. But I definitely also empathetize with their frustration overall because it must be hard to know that certain activities they just will not get to experience because of this, regardless of how unrealistic making them accessible would be. That's gotta be a tough thing to get past.

by dubuqueaubree 1 month ago

No one is expecting every place in the world to be handicap accessible, just important buildings like grocery stores, pharmacies, doctors ect. I highly doubt your friend is angry that the forest doesn't have handicap trails, that's just you projecting.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Kinda weird to think elderly people shouldn't have to have an accessible building. They'll probably need it before you do… If it's too expensive, they shouldn't have the business anymore.

by Jayceeweimann 1 month ago

So they should just die because they can't afford a ten thousand dollar wheel chair ramp incase one dude from out of state takes vacation in town and what's to eat there?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Many people won't say that out loud, but I don't think it's unpopular,.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

So, if we only make 80% of the world accessible to handicapped people, do we only charge them 80% of the tax that we charge to everyone else? In your example of the state park, their tax dollars are paying for that. They are either owed access or som compensation. You sound pretty entitled, way more than your friend.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

You say it's ridiculous to cater to a small group of individuals, but when it comes to the rich, that's exactly what the world does. If your buddy could get really rich he could probably do something about this lack of wheelchair accessibility points.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I would not want you as a colleague with that attitude Your poor, poor friend

by AcanthisittaFlat 1 month ago

Why are you trying to shame him ?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Because it's a privileged take. Dude can walk and this is what he has to complain about?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Yea why not ?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Expecting nature to be suited to you is entitlement too

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Shaming people when you have the opportunity to educate them is super counter-productive.

by Impossible-Coast 1 month ago

I've head stories of handicapped people going to places they find out about not having access, just to cause trouble.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Then you've read those stories with the wrong intent. If I go somewhere knowing I can't go in, that doesn't change the fact it is an ADA violation. And it's not some big "gotcha" to say, "Well, you were never gonna go to that restaurant anyway!" Yeah, because they violated the ADA, so I couldn't.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Idk about you, but building accessible things is actually quite easy. Adding a ramp to a staircase is literally so easy. Idk why ur being sarcastic about it. Being accessible is a benefit to society as a whole, and saying that "I can't build that!!" Is dumb… there's always work arounds to it.

by ExpensiveScratch 1 month ago

As someone who has actually designed wheelchair ramps to code, no it is not easy nor is it cheap. It might be if you ignore accessibility codes and standards, but if you're doing that, prepare to get sued. One project my firm did just previous to my joining, had to rip out half a million dollars in handrails because their diameter did not meet code. The firm was sued by the municipality and the guy who made the mistake was let go.

by emilio29 1 month ago

My friend was sued under the ADA because he didn't have a ramp into his restaurant. It cost him upwards of several hundred thousand dollars. And the wheelchair guy pocketed close to ninety of that.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I mean how much of that would have been to cover legal fees?

by Illustrious_Bonus 1 month ago

Good, I guess he should work on getting up to date Also people acting like a ramp is prohibitively expensive are ridiculous so don't go there without some numbers to prove it

by Anonymous 1 month ago

He's upset that he can't go hiking? Why would you want to hike in a gd wheelchair? I understand him with the fish shack, but the hiking trail? Really?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

While I can understand their frustration, what they're asking for is challenging/impossible. I feel like it would be a lot easier to make wheelchairs that can adapt to the environment rather than making the environment adapt to a wheelchair. Obviously everyone's need is different and you can never cater for everyone. But if public funding for accessibility was focused more on advancing mobility aid rather than demanding locations are fully accessible it might benefit more people. There's a balance to be made.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

using "handicap" is not helping the argument tbh

by Mckenziemadisyn 1 month ago