This game places you in the shoes of a young disabled person. You will see what a typical day looks like for a person who uses an electric wheelchair. As a home care worker, although I have not experienced these obstacles for myself I have seen first hand the things that able-bodied people do not consider when we go about our daily lives; and I have come to view the world in a different way. Through this game I hope to give others a bit of insight to the challenges accessibility can pose so that people can have a greater understanding of accessibility and the need for it. This game is based on experiences that I have witnessed not only while working, but while going out with friends and family who have physical disabilities.
[[Click here to begin]]
(set: $call to false)
It’s the evening, and your attendant is finishing up the dishes from your dinner. You think about going downtown for the day tomorrow. You call your best friend to see if they want to hang out:
“Hey! Do you want to go for bunch tomorrow?” you ask.
“Yeah sure! Where do you want to go?” they reply.
“There’s a new brunch spot that I’ve been wanting to try, want to meet there?”
“Sure!”
You finish planning when and where to meet and hang up. Next, you:
[[Call the restaurant to make sure it is accessible]]
[[Don’t call the restaurant. It’s closing soon, and most new places are accessible anyways]]
You call the restauraunt to make sure it is wheelchair accessible. After you hang up, you realize you also need to decide how you are going to get there. It’s before 9 o’clock, so you still have time to try and schedule adapted transport; or you can try your luck with the city buses. You decide to:
[[Call adapted transport]]
[[You’ll just take the city bus]]
(set: $call to true)
You decide you probably don't need to call. More and more new places are accessible, so you'll be okay. You also need to decide how you are going to get there. It’s before 9 o’clock, so you still have time to try and schedule adapted transport; or you can try your luck with the city buses. You decide to:
[[Call adapted transport]]
[[You’ll just take the city bus]]
The next day, you wake up to a knock on the door. You roll over and hit the button on your bedside table that unlocks the front door so your attendant can get in. After putting down her things she comes into the bedroom and your routine begins. She gets you out of bed, takes you to the bathroom, makes and feeds you breakfast (although today you just had a coffee), does the dishes, gives you a shower, gets you dressed, and packs your bag for the day.
It’s 10:45 and your transport is scheduled for 11:00, so you head to the lobby of your apartment to wait for it. At 11:15 it still hasn’t arrived, but you have to wait half an hour from your scheduled pickup time before you can call to find out where it is. You decide to:
[[Keep waiting and call at 11:30]]
[[Give up and take the city bus, the stop is right in front of your apartment anyways]]
The next day, you wake up to a knock on the door. You roll over and hit the button on your bedside table that unlocks the front door so your attendant can get in. After putting down her things she comes into the bedroom and your routine begins. She gets you out of bed, takes you to the bathroom, makes and feeds you breakfast (although today you just had a coffee), does the dishes, gives you a shower, gets you dressed, and packs your bag for the day.
It’s 10:45 and the city bus comes at 11:00. The stop is right outside your apartment, so you go downstairs and outside to the stop to wait for it. The bus pulls up only a minute late and the driver tells you that the ramp is broken and you’ll have to wait for a different bus. You decide to:
[[Ask the driver to try the ramp]]
[[Wait for the next bus]]
At 11:30 you call adapted transport to see where your bus is. They tell you that it will be arriving in 10 minutes. When the bus arrives you notice that there is another person on board. The driver tells you that you are going to pick someone else up, and then you are the last scheduled drop off. You were supposed to meet your friend at 12, but there’s no way you’ll make it on time now. You decide to:
[[Get on the adapted bus and call your friend. You don’t have any other choice at this point.]]
The next bus is scheduled to come at 11:20. You decide to wait outside at the bus stop since it is a nice day out. The bus pulls up on time and the driver lets the ramp down for you. You get on and find that there are people sitting in the seats that fold up to allow a person in a wheelchair to park off to the side. Nobody is getting up.
[[Politely ask them to move]]
[[Sit in the middle of the bus. Where else can you go?]]
You ask the driver to try the ramp anyways and they reluctantly oblige. Sure enough, the ramp goes down. You look at the driver who is avoiding eye contact and turning an interesting shade of red. You get on the bus and find that there are people sitting in the seats that fold up to allow a person in a wheelchair to sit safely off to the side. Nobody is getting up. You decide to:
[[Politely ask them to move]]
[[Sit in the middle of the bus. Where else can you go?]]
Since you couldn’t take the 11:00 bus, you have to take the bus at 11:20. You decide to wait outside at the bus stop since it is a nice day out. The bus pulls up on time and the driver lets the ramp down for you. You get on the bus and find that there are people sitting in the seats that fold up to allow a person in a wheelchair to sit safely off to the side. Nobody is getting up. You decide to:
[[Politely ask them to move]]
[[Sit in the middle of the bus. Where else can you go?]]
You go up to the nearest person and say, “excuse me, I’m sorry to ask you to get up but this is where I can sit in my wheelchair.”
The person doesn’t respond.
(click: "respond")[You ask again.]
(click: "ask again")[They roll their eyes.]
(click: "roll their eyes")[You turn around and see the bus driver looking. He walks over and asks //"Why aren’t you sitting where you’re supposed to?"//]
(click: "supposed to")[The people sitting in the seats blocking your path get up. One of them is muttering //"People like you shouldn’t be using the city bus"//.]
(click: "city bus")[You maneuver yourself into the empty space and wait for your stop. One stop early, you begin to head towards the door. It can be hard to convince people to let you by, and you often miss your stop.]
(click: "miss your stop")[You successfully make it near the door and tell the driver you would like to get off at the next stop. The driver pulls over and tries to let the ramp down. The ramp goes halfway and then gets stuck. You manage to get off, but the bus has broken down as a result of the stuck ramp.]
(click: "stuck ramp")[The driver //blames you for the inconvenience//.]
(click: "inconvenience")[You quickly head towards the restaurant, trying to avoid the [[confrontation.]]]
You turn around and see the bus driver looking. He walks over and asks //"Why aren’t sitting where you’re supposed to?"//
(click: "supposed to")[The people blocking your way begrudgingly get up; one of them is muttering //"People like you shouldn’t be taking the city bus."//]
(click: "city bus")[You maneuver yourself into the empty space and wait for your stop. One stop early, you begin to head towards the door. It can be hard to convince people to let you by, and you often miss your stop.]
(click: "miss your stop")[You successfully make it near the door and tell the driver you would like to get off at the next stop. The driver pulls over and tries to let the ramp down. The ramp goes halfway and then gets stuck. You manage to get off, but the bus has broken down as a result of the stuck ramp.]
(click: "stuck ramp")[The driver //blames you for the inconvenience//.]
(click: "inconvenience")[You quickly head towards the restaurant, which is a block away, trying to avoid the [[confrontation.]]]
As the driver is securing your wheelchair you call your friend.
“Hi, my bus is late. I don’t think I will get there until 12:45,” you say.
“Oh, that’s no problem. I’ll see you then!”
After the long trip you get off the bus at 12:50 and begin heading towards the restaurant, which is only a block [[away->confrontation.]]
(if: $call)[You soon arrive at the restaurant, where your friend is waiting outside. They assure you they haven't been there long. You notice that there is no step up into the restaurant, just as you were told by whomever you talked to when you called last night. When you asked if there were any steps into the building they told you there were not. You made sure to still ask if the restaurant was fully accessible, and they assured you that it was.
[[Go inside->Inside and Called]]]
(if: not $call)[You soon arrive at the restaurant, where your friend is waiting outside. They assure you they haven't been there long. You notice that there is no step up into the restaurant, so the restaurant seems to be accessible, just as you thought it would be.
[[Head inside->Inside didn't call]]]
You get inside the restaurant and a hostess greets you. She shows you to a booth that has a large step up into it.
"Are there any free tables?" you ask.
"No, we only have booths here," the hostess replies.
Your friend turns to you and comments, "I thought you said the restaurant was fully accessible."
The hostess interjects, "Oh, it is fully accessible. You got inside, didn’t you? You can just get up now, right? You don't need your wheelchair. You'll be sitting anyways."
[[You're so taken aback that you don't respond]]
You get inside the restaurant and a hostess greets you. She shows you to a booth that has a large step up into it.
"Are there any free tables?" you ask.
"No, we only have booths here," the hostess replies.
You immediately realize that you should have called to make sure the restaurant was accessible.
Your face is turning red, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you didn't have accessible seating. I guess we can't eat here."
The hostess interjects, "Oh, the restaurant is fully accessible. You got inside, didn’t you? You can just get up now, right? You don't need your wheelchair. You'll be sitting anyways."
[[You're so taken aback that you don't respond]]
Luckily, your friend senses your embarrassment and speaks up after an awkward silence.
"No, they can't just get up. They need help to get up. We'll have to go somewhere else."
"Well you can just pick them up then, can't you?" the waitress asks.
"No, they can't. I'm sorry but we will need to go somewhere with accessibe seating," you say.
[[Exit the restaurant]]
You get outside and your friend asks, “What would you like to do instead?”
You could go to your usual brunch spot. At least you know it is accessible. You go there so often though. You kind of want to try something new. Last week you walked by a place nearby that looked good, and it looked like it might be accessible. You decide to:
[[Play it safe and go to your usual spot]]
[[Take a chance and try somewhere new]]
"Let's go to the usual spot. It's getting late and I don't want to risk going somewhere that isn't accessible again."
Your friend agrees and you walk a couple blocks down the street to your usual brunch spot.
[[Go inside]]
"I walked by a place a few blocks away a couple weeks ago. It looked pretty good, and it seemed to be accessible. Want to go there?"
Your friend agrees to try somewhere new and you head down the street to the restaurant.
[[Go in the restaurant]]
You go inside and the hostess recognizes you. She greets you by name and asks if you would like to sit at your favourite table. There's a spot by a large window that has a good view of the street outside. You like people watching, and the table has lots of space for your wheelchair to fit comfortably. The waiter comes by and takes your drink orders, although you always get the same thing. He comes back with two coffees and a straw for you. Since you come here so often he knows that you need one in order to drink your coffee.
"Are you ready to order?" he asks, once he has unwrapped the straw and put it in your cup for you.
[[Place order]]
You go inside the restaurant and are once again greeted by a hostess.
"Hi! Would you prefer a table or a booth?"
You smile and reply, "A table, please. Could you take one of the chairs away so I have room to sit in my wheelchair?"
"Absolutely, wait one minute. I'll go set the table up for you."
She returns quickly and shows you to your table. It's a little tight for you to get into the empty space, but you don't mind. You're just happy that you get to try somewhere new like you had wanted to.
The waiter comes by and takes your drink orders. He walks away before you can ask for a straw, which you need in order to drink the coffee you asked for. When he returns you ask him for one and he gives you a puzzled look, but goes to get one anyways. When he comes back he puts it in front of you. Your friend unwraps it and puts it in your coffee.
"Are you ready to order?" he asks.
[[Place your order]]
When your food arrives your friend quietly reaches across the table and cuts your pancakes into bite-sized portions for you. You appreciate that they don't make a big fuss about it. You have asked them to do it many times before, so they just do it now, which you don't mind. You don't usually like it when people do things for you without asking first, but it's different with someone who has done it many times before.
"Would you like help eating today?" your friend asks.
"No thanks, I'll do it myself," you reply.
Some things are harder to eat than others, but pancakes are fairly easy to pick up yourself since you can stab them with a fork. It's pretty messy when you eat, but your friend knowingly wipes your mouth for you every once in awhile; another thing that you don't mind only because you've asked them to do it many times before.
[[30 minutes later...]]
Once you've finished your food and paid, you head outside together.
"Are you taking adapted transport?" your friend asks.
"Well, I booked my trip home with it, yeah. I think I'm just going to walk home though. It's nice out, and I don't feel like dealing with buses again today."
Your friend smiles and you say your goodbyes.
[[The End]]
When your food arrives the waiter picks up your knife and fork and begins to cut your pancakes into bite sized pieces. This isn't the first time this has happened to you, but you're shocked nonetheless.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll do that,” your friend pipes up.
You're thankful for this. You have asked you friend to cut your food up for you so many times before that you don't mind when they cut your food without asking, but you really don't like it when others do it.
"Would you like help eating today?" your friend asks.
"No thanks, I'll do it myself," you reply.
Some things are harder to eat than others, but pancakes are fairly easy to pick up yourself since you can stab them with a fork. It's pretty messy when you eat, but your friend knowingly wipes your mouth for you every once in awhile; another thing that you don't mind only because you've asked them to do it many times before.
[[30 minutes later...]]
Thank you for playing!
[[Play again->Introduction]]