Rude and abusive disabled people

Just ignore the interpreter! I have been to lectures, talks and plays where a sign interpreter has been provided and have had no trouble ignoring them - it's easy, you just look away. How hard is that?

Don't blame deaf people because you are unable to concentrate on the lecture. Shouldn't you be busy taking notes?

You are not the first. I have seen disabled people being rude over and over again. And they feel this sense of entitlement as if the rest of the world caused them to be disabled.
In my class there is a hearing impaired student. She got an interpreter assigned to her and the interpreter sits right smack in the middle of the class. Her movement was so distracting. I asked the interpreter and the student if they could move to the edge of the class and I was told that I was so insensitive, and outrageous for asking that.
When I asked the professor for help. She said she can't touch them. I wasn't the first student to complain and when the teacher herself asked them if they could move to the edge of the class they went to the chair of the department and accused her of discrimination.
Yes many disabled persons think they have the right to abuse us ablebodied persons just because they can!

You were rightly enraged by an obnoxious wheelchair user when you offered help - but please do persevere with other disabled people!

I have limited mobility, walking with both legs in locked calipers (aka legbraces, leg irons) and crutches. In non-PC, layman's language I might be called 'badly crippled'. Everyday movements out of a wheelchair are very hard work, and sometimes a logistic challenge.

I'm only too happy to get offers of help - clearing obstructions, carrying a drink to my pub table, even supporting me up the odd step if this defeats me, or holding my crutches ready.

I hope I speak for most of the disable community in guaranteeing to receive offers of help pleasantly, and to accept or refuse with courtesy according to whether I need the help or not.

Don't let the wheelchair sourpuss put you off!!

I do try to see people on an individual basis though.

I've been down this road 8 or 9 times. I worked for a few people in a wheelchair...........there abuse made me depressed, gave me anxiety, I stopped being physically active while I worked there and gained weight. Sometimes people in chairs are victims of torment, but there are also people who are made victims by people in chairs.

Having read this story,i came across this problem when working in retail,and working in various companys,SOME wheelchair users are very aggresive when asking about products,or paying at the checkouts,ME FIRST BECAUSE I AM DISABLED.

As the parent of a disabled child,i do not stand for their rudeness and tell them we all have to wait our turn in life,be nice and you will get more help from others,the women in the cafe was a prime example of CHIPS on shoulders with everything,

karlosthejackel - Why are you knocking Nikki? this is a democratic (as far as I know) place to have a gripe about the current subjects, 'defending the geezers that are in the wrong' is your perception of wrong not hers or mine or any other democratic thinking person. You have your right to comment and I have my right to speak up for Nikki, in this case I believe your comments border on the non-democratic rhetoric.

BTW, I do agree with you on defending yourself if called out in a public place, if they were disabled or a woman, i'd give a mouthful back, if it were a guy i'd probably smack him in the cakehole...or at least ask him to walk with me to a quiet location.

Nikki,
My god your on every thread aren’t you.

It appears the person in the wheelchair insinuated he was a racist Nazi. I know that sounds extreme but I bet he wouldn’t have done it if he was able bodied, he probably would of just thought it to himself but wouldn’t of had the guts to say it. Typically hiding behind the I’m disabled/I’m a single mother/I’m too sick to go to work excuse that morons always tend to use.

Why are you on every page defending the geezers that are in the wrong? If anyone called me out like that especially in a public place I would of publicly put him/her in his place irrespective of their condition.

All I can say is that its a shame people have to be passive aggressive when you are being kind. If you stopped opening a door for a person would that be a better way of handling yourself in our day to day culture? Or would some one find it appropriate to tut?

I've worked with young people and children with disabilities for years, and think I've met the most inspiring and rudest people in my life.
Most of the poor behaviour I've seen is an outcome of frustration, and I would imagine this woman was embarressed. The thing that strikes me out of all of this is:
If the woman was able bodied, she could have still dropped the soup. In that situation would we have watched the busy assistant run over, take the abuse and clean up?

I actually think a good point here; is that sometimes we let people act poorly because we are afraid of correcting them. This experience of not being shown how to behave is more than likely the reason why this woman humilates others to deflect people looking at what she had not been able to manage.

Good point ... I had overlooked that fact!

As someone who was temporarily disabled, I would like to assure Jonny that there is nothing inferior about disabled people! Pity is the last thing they need ...

Nikki,
I am not sure if the wheelchair guy was being insulting or not but the real clue to the way Jonny thinks is in this sentence,

“I was so absolutely stunned by what had just transpired it took me several seconds to realise I was just insulted by a guy in a wheelchair”

In other words had he been insulted by an able bodied person it would not have seemed so bad to him, but no matter how he thinks he feels, he actually thinks disabled people are inferior – to be pitied maybe but they are not equal – and he is damned if he is going to be looked down on by one of “them”.

Jonny : what on earth are you complaining about ! The bloke praises your hair cut - in your case, a total shave - and you think he is insulting you !

In addition, this bloke is in a wheelchair ... so now you want to insult ALL wheelchair users just because of one POTENTIAL user who MAY have insulted you.

You're unbelievable.