As we come up on another weekend for TRF, I'd like to take a moment and remind any attendees for this weekend to please be aware of your surroundings and conscientious of those that may be using mobility aids in the fair grounds. We live in an able bodied world and those of us that are able bodied take what we have for granted and may not give a second thought about those who can't move around as easily.
While in attendance for the Barbarian Invasion weekend, especially on Saturday, the actions and comments of some attendees was absolutely appalling. My mother was using a scooter to help her get around since walking long distances causes immense pain for her from numerous knee and ankle injuries, on top of chronic pain and arthritis. The amount of people who never once looked at their surroundings, all of the dirty looks she got from people who just assumed she was lazy were disappointing, on top of the many muttered comments about "why are people who can't walk even allowed to be here" and accusations of being hit by the scooter when she wasn't even moving rightly made me and the rest of our family mad. My mom didn't ask to be disabled and hates how her body has deteriorated and betrayed the young woman who would be out hiking and camping, dancing and enjoying life that she used to be. Does she not deserve to have fun in places that can easily be adapted to become accessible? She's already limited in what she can do as it is and we refused to let her miss out on an event she has loved since she was a teenager.
Mobility aids are avaliable for rent with TRF for a reason: so everyone can enjoy themselves without worry of exacerbating conditions that are sometimes hidden. I genuinely hope that people who think negatively on the need for mobility aids and those who need them can change their minds one day; God forbid they ever wind up with a disability that puts them in a similar situation where they would be treated poorly for circumstances beyond their control.
If you've made it this far, thank you. Making events like TRF more accessible and disability friendly is a GOOD thing, no matter how some individuals may feel. If you go for any of the remaining weeks, please keep your eyes peeled and be wary of your surroundings. The few people that did their best to pay attention and actually made room made our experience just a little bit better when we were reminded that there are others who still have some humanity for those that are differently abled.
