Put Yourself in Their Shoes (or Scooter)

Last week Robert Ware wrote a column about . I thought about his article all week. I’m in total agreement with Mr. Ware, but I’d like to take it one step further and extend it to the customers shopping in the businesses.

Mother’s Day is this weekend and this story directly ties into my mom. My mother was hit by a drunk driver while driving home from work one night. She was disabled from that day forward at the age of 52. So far, she has had over forty surgeries because of an accident caused by a man who decided to drink and drive. Until you have experienced a tragedy like this through a loved one or personally, it is hard to truly grasp how hard life becomes.

My mom has a scooter that she uses so she can go places and live life. It’s not easy though. There has to be room in the car and it takes two people to put the scooter in and out of the car. It’s wonderful that some of the chain stores and grocery stores offer complimentary ones to use.

I could go on and on about the difficulties my mom has with things that we take for granted, but I will stick to the topic at hand—helping customers with disabilities. When I’m out shopping if I see someone on a scooter I always move out of the way for them to get through. You would not believe how many people I have seen while shopping with my mom and her scooter. It might be inconvenient to move for them to get through, but believe me, it’s far less inconvenient than going through life dependent on one to get around.

Another area where we can help is offering to get things down from some of the higher shelves. A lot of the disabled are unable to reach higher shelves and if there is no one to help, they are forced to hunt down a store employee. The next time you’re in the grocery store if you see someone on a scooter stopped and staring at the shelves, don’t be afraid to ask if there is something that you could help them with. I know my mom would welcome the help.

I have witnessed some wonderful people offering to help the disabled while out shopping, but unfortunately I have also witnessed the rude and ignorant too. The next time you are out and someone with a disability looks like they are struggling, offer some help. Sometimes the smallest gesture goes the longest way. Remember the person you are helping is someone’s mom, dad, sister, daughter, son or friend. I’d like to say I’ve always been keenly aware of the disabled’s struggles while shopping, but the truth be told, it hit me hard in the face because of my mom. I hope no one out there ever has to live through what my mom has lived through because of the ignorance of a drunk driver.

Happy Mother’s Day Mom, I’m sending a new horn for your scooter this year, just kidding!