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How To A Wheelchair Ramp

Decent Essays

In this picture, there is a sign posted along the railing of a wheelchair ramp. This sign reads “This is a wheelchair access ramp. Do not lock bicycles to these railings. Bicycles locked to these railings are subject to removal and/or citation by University Police.” It is assumed by the context of the material on the sign that some previous incident had occurred that required someone at Miami University or the University Police to post this sign. Therefore, some previous student or students here at Miami University misused their privilege and locked their bicycles to the railings of this wheelchair ramp. By locking their bicycles to the wheelchair ramp, it may have prevented a disabled student from reaching their class on time, or being able to enter or leave the building safely. Miami University is hard enough to navigate and get from one place to another without a handicap, and when students do not consider the physical capabilities of their peers it can cause problems. This picture demonstrates able-bodied privilege because students here at Miami had not thought of their privilege when using this railing as a bike rack. …show more content…

When I left my class on Thursday and found this sign, my first thought was “this is privilege.” My next immediate thought was “have I ever blocked a wheelchair ramp or used some other tool designed to help disabled people?” I have never locked a bike to a wheelchair ramp, but that doesn’t mean I have not used my privilege in a way to accidently cause someone else problems. Able-bodied people should keep this in mind when using an elevator, especially when it says that it isn’t for everyone’s use, or when using a handicapped restroom stall, or anything else designed to make someone else’s life

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