1526 Disability

1526 Disability

One of these hangs on my rearview mirror:

To be completely politically incorrect about it, I am, therefore, a State Certified Cripple or SCC.  I can barely walk even with a cane and when I do, it’s agonizingly slow.  I can’t remain standing for what most people would consider a reasonable length of time.

And I hate it.

But slow and painful as ambulation can be, I still say far too much is being made of this kind of thing.  It’s a fact of life for many of us.  But it doesn’t have to be a center of life.

It’s not as hard to get around as it was before the Americans with Disabilities Act. But it still can be difficult, though we the SCCs shouldn’t be carping about it all the time.

But there is one thing that’s bothersome. A disability is a disability, not a character flaw.

Some people don’t believe that.  They think in terms of “God punished this guy for something he did or failed to do”  or “This guy is like that because he’s bad.” Or a freak.  Or stupid.

Scorn is worse than gratuitous pity.

Disability is not proof of bad living.  At least not most of the time.

And disability is not catching any more than is the cancer or aids or heart disease or old age in people you may awkwardly avoid.

Physical disability is not a mental illness.

It’s just a lack of ability.  Sometimes it’s even temporary.

But let’s get back to those hang tags.  Long before achieving SCC status, some of us saw red every time there was a car in a handicapped spot with no credential -- either the hanger or a license plate with a wheelchair or DAV logo.

“Oh, I’ll just be a minute.”  Or “I applied for a tag and it hasn’t come yet” or “I left it in my other car.”

Yeah. Sure.

Call the cops and you get no satisfaction, unless the offending driver is parked at the precinct… or at the donut shop.  And even then, maybe not.

Leave notes on the windshields or in the door slots of violators.  It probably won’t fix anything, but you’ll feel better.

Shrapnel:

--Microsoft has upped its “get Windows 10” popups which now appear every time you log on.  Popup blockers don’t stop them… after all, they’re Microsoft. But the more often many of us have to “x” out those annoying come-ons, the less chance you have of “selling” the free software, which is worth no more than you’re charging.

--The real estate association, Realtor, is out with its rankings of the “hottest” zip codes in the country, places where people are likely to move and buy.  Top spot on the list: Melrose MA (Greater Boston.)  Others include Fargo, ND; Austin TX and Novi, Michigan… but not Beverly Hills.

I’m Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you’re welcome to them. ®

Please address comments to wesrichards@gmail.com

© WJR 2015