Five-Star Disability

Hello there,

Yes, I know I’ve not done a blog for over a month now. Say sorry. Moving can be really hectic and draining for a person with ataxia!

I want to tell you about an experience that happened to me.

As you know, I am Deaf-Blind, with ataxia. If I don’t have an intervenor with me, I prefer to write things down to communicate with other people.

With technology, I’ve switched from writing to using my iPhone. The print is large and easy for people to see.

I use this route mostly for conversing with pharmacists, to pick up my med refills, and with taxi drivers.

While I am waiting in line, or for the cab to show up, I would type in the details. Yes, I have the Note saved, but sometimes I need to made a change.

Recently, I took my son to his physio appointment; we go by cab because it is far, and dark.

My wife sent me an iMessage with the address of where were going. So, while my boy & I were waiting I copied this address to a Note. It was ready to show the driver.

Piece of cake right?

Well, somehow I managed to delete the Note while I was getting into the cab!

Technology can do that to me! I left it open because of the mask that I wear, facial recognition you see, is a pain with that blue bandana across the bottom half of my face!

Oh damn, I said, and struggled for a few minutes; creating a new Note, pasting the address. My son was trying to hurry me, and the driver was impatient too.

While I was struggling with my iPhone, the driver rolled down (is that the right way to say it, maybe powered down?) his window and called out to my wife, who was standing outside our new front door…

“Who’s paying?”

My wife was shocked! She yelled back: “Who do you think?”

My son heard this exchange, I didn’t know anything until about 45 minutes later when my wife informed me she had talked to the taxi company and the driver of the cab we took. She was upset. And so am I.

That cabbie had no right to make a comment like that! “Who’s paying?”. He was rude, disrespectful. I am the parent, and I am bringing my kid to his appointment.

Yes, I am Deaf-Blind, yes I have ataxia, but, damn it, I am a person!

If we were not in a hurry, and I heard him, I would have gotten out of that cab and ordered another one!

But, I didn’t hear him shouting at my wife, and I couldn’t see the reaction of my son’s face in the dark cab.

I didn’t give him a tip either.

I am pretty sure he apologized to my wife, but not to me.

To cabbies everywhere, if you pick up a non-verbal person, kindly be patient. He or she will inform you where to go, at their own pace, not yours. Open your eyes, be respectful!

Thank you for listening, sharing, liking, donating and supporting my blogs.

There will be more coming in a few days… Lots more, I have so much to say…