Disability Thinking Weekday - Friday, June 7, 2024: Poll
Which do you prefer?
On a trip with friends or coworkers, which kind of help do you prefer?
Next week I will be going to my 35th college reunion. I’m pretty excited about it. And it seems like most of the disability accommodations I need are all set. I’ve got an accessible place to stay, good parking options, and I’m renting a mobility scooter so it’s going to be very easy for me to get around campus. In fact, that’s how I got around campus when I was a student.
The only extra help I need is some assistance unpacking my car when I arrive, and packing up again when I’m ready to leave. Since I am traveling alone, that means I have an interesting question to think about. Do I want to arrange for staff who are working the reunion, who are most likely current undergraduates? Or, should I connect with one or two of my college friends who are going to be at the reunion to help me out? For now, I’ve decided to go the more organized route and ask the reunion organizers for student help. But the question got me thinking for quite a while. And I’ve come to realize that it’s one of those questions most disabled have to think about — with a wide variety of conclusions.
So I thought I would put it to subscribers here. Which do you prefer when you are traveling alone — help from staff of the places you are visiting, or help from friends or coworkers you are traveling or meeting with? Or, do you make a point to only travel with family to help you? Let me know in the poll:
I intentionally didn’t add a “Not sure” option, so feel free to add any “it depends” comments below. I look forward to your responses!
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I am so grateful for your help and engagement, in whichever forms you choose!
Have a lot of fun at your reunion.
For travel, which is very limited for me, I only travel with my partner (also disabled) and we can help each other with what we need.
But if I need help in general, I usually prefer to ask (pay) someone whose job it is to help because friends are few and far between, and too often view even the mildest and most infrequent requests as a burden. It makes “the politics of gratitude” so hard to navigate so that the friend feels properly thanked, not uncomfortable and definitely not like they will ever be asked for routine help. I have had to ask in certain situations because I didn’t have money or other options and it is hard for me based on past reactions.