I think that priority seating is still an issue for many disabled people.
Seats and spaces are already limited. So when I take public transport with my partner and at times when we haven’t booked seats in advance or that’s unavailable to us, half the time people move with no issue when we ask for space. For that, thank you, I wish more people would accommodate disabled people in this world. The other half it just sucks.
We ask for the space and so often I get looked up and down which makes you feel awful. My walking stick has been glared at so many times that if it had feelings it would be truly offended because it seems that no young person would have a mobility aid. Too often people assume I’ve hurt my leg than have a disability like arthritis.
Too often it seems like people don’t ‘see’ the priority stickers and the rest do see them and sit down anyway. Which I don’t mind too much [others may feel differently to that which I can understand] but if you’re sitting in that priority seat and you’re not disabled please do myself and everyone else a favour.
1. DON’T stick on headphones and pretend that the disabled person doesn’t exist. If you know you’re sitting in that priority seat and you’re able bodied please have a headphone out or look up occasionally, yield your seat to a disabled person please. This honestly is an issue.
2. Its not your right to judge a persons “worthiness” or “need” for that space. Accept that they are disabled and they need the space. I’m just fed up of being judged.
The other big issue is pushchairs & bikes. Pushchairs should be collapsed with somewhere to safely store them. There used to be a space and it was gotten rid of. The exception to this is obviously a disabled parent or child but that to me goes without saying that they need the space.
But regardless the limited amount of spaces is a problem and educating the general public about these spaces is lacking or completely ignored. Regardless we need a solution for now and in the future.
