
A Grey Lynn resident spoke at our AGM last month to spread the disability awareness message. It was eye opening, to say the least.
At last month’s Annual General Meeting of the GLRA, in response to our stated aim of making Grey Lynn the most liveable suburb in the world, a resident turned up to talk about her experience of having a disability in our community.
What was most disturbing was that it is the behaviour of some people which makes her feel more disempowered than her disability.
Roberta would like to share some simple points for able-bodied people to consider when dealing with someone with a disability.
Please ask someone with a disability if they need help. Don’t assume they do need help.
Always ask for and gain consent before touching the person or their mobility aid. If there has been no consent, refrain from touching them or their property.
Simply ask, “May I help you?” or “Can I help?” And wait for a response before acting. The question alone is not enough.
Roberta frequently has people trying to grab hold of her walking support when she gets on and off the bus, perhaps believing they are helping, or maybe because they want to hurry her up.
They try to pull the thing that she is supporting herself with to walk.
Pulling a walking frame does not pull the person using it along; instead it pulls the walking frame away from the person using it.
It is pulling away their support and is threatening for the person dependent on it.
Unless you have expressly gained consent, please do not interfere with someone’s walking aid.
Please don’t get offended if your help isn’t needed
If they don’t want your help, it might be because what you think of as ‘help’ might actually be an intrusion and, more importantly, a hindrance and danger. For example, pulling a walking frame.
Roberta has had people get angry and indignant when she has declined their attempts to take hold of her walking aid. Don’t take it personally.
Please respect a disabled person’s personal space
Don’t touch someone with a disability unless you are friends or family and know they are happy about it.
The disability of a stranger is not license to touch and handle them.
It is not reassuring, as perhaps it is intended to be. Instead, it is unnerving and intrusive.
Many people seem to feel a need to put their hands on someone with a disability.
Some strangers, presumably well-meaning, have come up and stroked, put arms around, or hugged Roberta.
People have placed their hands on her back or even gone so far as to place their hands on her bottom to guide her, unnecessarily, to sit down in a bus seat.
Don’t assume a person with a disability doesn’t mind being touched. But do assume they would like you to respect their space, just as you would an able-bodied person.
Roberta said one good thing about Covid was that the unwanted hugs stopped.
In short, please accord them the same respect you would anyone else.
Raising disability awareness in Grey Lynn
Thanks you for reading this and if want to learn more about why you should never touch someone’s mobility aids, check out this YouTube clip from wheelchair user Gem Hubbard…
And if would like to learn more about disability awareness and help spread the word, this link is helpful…
https://inclusiveaotearoa.nz/research/what-needs-to-change-so-you-feel-like-you-belong/health-disability-and-wellbeing/
Roberta and Peter
Many thanks to Roberta for sharing her world with us an enlightening us on how to better support when required.