Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have the power of invisibility? You could go around about your business unnoticed, you could avoid awkward situations where you’re head on with a person and both side-stepping so that you don’t walk into each other and you could sneak backstage to see your favourite band! It could be so cool being like Harry Potter with his invisibility cloak!
I’ve found a much less magical way to become invisible, all you have to do is sit in a wheelchair and instantly people can’t see you! How do I know this? Well, people seem to ignore me and even walk into me when I use my wheelchair.
I may be in a supermarket and people will repeatedly try to walk through me and ignore the fact that I’m there completely. The shop assistant will ask the person that I’m with for payment and even when I give the payment, they’ll hand the change to the person that I’m with.
A change of scenario perhaps? My partner and I took our niece out for the day. Whilst we where out we went to a restaurant, my niece is very obviously a child and could not possibly be mistaken for an adult. As my partner went to the ATM, I went to the restaurant nearby with our niece. “Table for two?” the waitress asks, however the question is not directed to myself, the only adult present, but the child! So although not quite invisible in that scenario, certainly not good enough to talk to!
What is it about a wheelchair that makes you a lower class citizen? In many places you’re either invisible, or just simply not good enough to talk to. Can’t people comprehend that just because limbs don’t work the mind functions quite fine and in some cases superbly? Look no further than Stephen Hawkins, scientific genius but an uncooperative body.
Nattelie from FightingRSD