Today, I was leading a wheelchair fundraiser to raise money to make public areas wheelchair accessible. I had several guest speakers, all of which were confined to wheelchairs. About ten minutes after the fundraiser was supposed to begin, I realized that the stage was wheelchair incompatible. FML
Collection
Halloween
A failed costume, stolen candy and a very real scare: Halloween, the one night when fear is allowed.
Today, I was at the Salvation Army when I saw a wheelchair in the miscellaneous aisle. I thought it would be fun to ride around in it. As I was wheeling it back to where I found it, I made it back just as it's owner was hobbling out of the dressing room. FML
Today, I went on a field trip with some people from school. I'm currently confined to a wheelchair, so I had to rely on my sister to get around. She eventually went off with her friends, assuming that the people nearby would keep me company. Five minutes later, they'd all left me. FML
Today, I went to a café that claimed to be fully accessible, as I use a mobility aid. The ramp was technically there but so steep, I needed help. Three strangers helped push me up while I apologized, laughed nervously, and tipped coffee onto myself at the top. FML
Today, while walking in the mall, I had two people race past me in wheelchairs. Thinking they were racing, I started rooting for the one guy that was ahead. Turns out his wheelchair was malfunctioning and the other was chasing after to help. He then slammed and fell into the water fountain. FML
Today, I attempted to be nice and hold a door open for a person in a wheelchair. He hit the button to open another door. While I pointed out that I would hold the door for him, I realized that the door I was holding open for him led down some stairs. FML
Today, my boss scheduled a staff breakfast at a swanky new restaurant for all the hard work we've been doing. The dining area is on the roof, and the building has no elevator. I've been in a wheelchair for 11 years. When I brought this to my boss's attention, he said it wasn't his problem. FML
Today, I managed to break my ankle by running it over with the wheelchair I've used on a daily basis for the last 6 years. FML
Today, while leaving work, I noticed a woman struggling with her wheelchair. Trying to be kind, I grabbed the handles and began to push her. A few moments later, the front wheels caught on something and I ended up dumping her onto the ground. Now my coworkers all think I'm a huge douche. FML
Today, I was brutally run over by a man in a wheelchair. FML
Today, I made fun of my friend when she tripped over the curb. I said, loudly, "Haha, you can't even walk." I then notice the man in the wheelchair a few feet ahead of us. FML
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Top comments
00069 0
It just proves your point, doesn't it? It sucks that the speakers couldn't get to the stage, but now the entire audience is thinking, "Wow, if only this place was wheelchair compatible...", which should make them more likely to donate money.
theanamachine 0
way to go genius!
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Comments (80)
grandmasattack 0
You should've just announced that you had not realized it until now and say it further proves your point that places need wheelchair access.
SVelasquez 0
Failure to plan. This is a poster child example. However, if used correctly, it WOULD reinforce your argument of the necessity of handicap access.
el_llama 0
It's generally considered rude to say someone is "confided to a wheelchair"; say "is a wheelchair user" instead. :)
askagimp 5
I noticed that too. Ableism is everywhere but it's unacceptable for someone who claims to be a disability advocate.
blackbetty_fml 0
That's one hell of a way to make your point there.
ben2002_fml 0
i mean, talk about lack of oversight.
swagmonkey 0
Major failure here. If the whole point of your fundraiser was to raise money for wheelchair accessibility, you should have been paying a great deal of attention to...wheelchair accessibility, of course. Once you made the mistake, though, you could have used a little elbow grease to solve your problem. Two able-bodied people in halfway decent shape can lift a small person in a wheelchair up a few steps to the stage -- I know because my mother is in a wheelchair with MS, and we've had to do this -- and three or four ought to be able to manage even the heaviest speaker. If you got a few friends together to do this, no one else in your audience would even have to know it wasn't supposed to be that way. And the extra attention drawn to it through your physical effort would force people to acknowledge the problem, likely earning some additional donations. Please tell me you still managed to let them speak... And to 29: Yes, you're right, it's an easy thing to overlook...in any case except the one where it's THE ENTIRE FOCUS OF YOUR EVENT. You're letting the OP off easy. It's like holding a wine-tasting event and forgetting to bring any wine.
askagimp 5
I'm a bit of a weenie and won't let people lift my chair. I'm 6 feet tall so I'm deceptively heavy for a woman so I'm afraid someone will drop me.
soulsfirefly 8
"Confined" to wheelchairs? That's an interesting, ablist word to choose. It's good that you were trying to raise money, but it would be better if you tried to adjust your attitude toward people who use mobility aides. I use a cane and I don't consider myself restricted by it. It's my environment around me which restricts, not my mobility aide. Isn't that the point of the fundraiser?
CaptainDude86 0
Three words; Location, Location, Location
24788 7
How could you make that mistake? I'd make sure everything was perfect.
nm22395 0
Oh, the irony...