“Thank you for talking to me”
That’s what I heard after I asked a lady in a wheelchair whether she was waiting in the line for the loo’s, we engaged in small chit chat whilst she waited for her carer to come out. and now even hours later that just keeps coming back… “thank you for talking to me”. I don’t know this lady, I don’t know her story. But I do know that this simple sentence made my heart stop for just a moment, realising the lack of inclusion for those with disabilities in todays world.
“Thank you for talking to me”, this shows the state of the society in which we live, a state of disconnect, a state of isolation and a 
state of ignorance and discrimination. Imagine living day to day being ignored, dismissed or just invisible to anyone outside of your immediate bubble, just because you are ‘different’ in some way.
To go to a restaurant for a waitress to ask your carer for your order, to go to the shops for the cashier to ask your sister if you’re allowed your wine, for doctors or other professionals to ask questions about you to your family as if you aren’t there. Imagine how you would feel…
Small? Unworthy? Useless? Helpless? Unheard? Invisible…
This is reality for a lot of people with a disability within our society. Overlooked and unheard simply because of their differences. It’s time we moved on and it’s time we made change.
As a society we need to do better.
Talk to the lady in the wheelchair, ask her for her order at the restaurant, if she’s unable to answer whoever she’s with will! Include people in the conversation, particularly if it’s about them. It’s not about going out of your way to say hello to every person with a disability that you come across, it’s about not awkwardly looking away if you catch their eye
To the lady in the wheelchair, you are worthy. And thank you for talking to me.
– We understand the importance of inclusion for all within society and aim to be part of making this happen. For more information about what we do, see our services page here.
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