TW// Ableism
I've started using a cane in public for my chronic pain. A lot of people are very rude towards me as I'm a young cane user. How do I get more confident using my cane? and/or what should I do if someone is rude?
Hi anon,
I am also a younger person using mobility aids (currently I alternate between a forearm crutch and a rolling walker, but I do also have a cane and it was my main aid for quite a while). I often get rude stares, and honestly I usually glare right back at them until they back down and look away. I think that a lot of people who are openly rude like that are looking for you to be embarrassed, so that they can think they have some sort of upper-hand or that they're better than you--which is just a bunch of ableist nonsense. You need your mobility aid to make your life easier, and there's absolutely nothing wrong or weird about that.
I've also gotten plenty of prying questions, most often like "what happened to you?" I always let them know that it's completely inappropriate for strangers to ask questions about people's disabilities, and then I don't answer anything further than that.
As for gaining confidence using your cane, sometimes it just takes a little time to get used to! The more you think of it as an extension of yourself, the easier it may be to not focus on it so much while you're in public. If you don't need it to get around the house, maybe try using it a bit there anyway--practicing in private with it could help you feel more natural at using it in public!
- Mod Mickey
