Gary N. Gray

 What Do the Disabled Do During these  Times?

Father God,
We come to you in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, asking you to be with our nation in this time of great need. Please be with our leader, President George Bush, please give him the knowledge, strength and guidance to handle this tragedy in the way that you need him to. God, please be with the families and friends of the people on the flights that crashed. Give them peace, and comfort them in the way that only you can. Be with the families and friends of the people who have died or are wounded. Be with the health care workers who are treating the victims of this tragedy; give them the knowledge, peace and organization that they need to treat the victims appropriately. Please be with all of the flights and people aboard who are still in the air being diverted at this time. Give them peace and a safe landing wherever they might be. Help us all to deal with the issues of family and uncertainty that come with great tragedies such as this one. Help us to realize that you are in control and help us to accept your will. Again, please be with our leaders of this nation and guide them. We ask all of this in the name Your Son, Jesus Christ.

AMEN AND AMEN 

Now, what do you do if you are disabled and there is an emergency on a train, plane, or bus? One would think the new federal ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) passed a decade ago would guarantee the disabled safety; one would think that all of these transportation industries would want the disabled to ride in comfort. I have seen this industry come full circle on the issue of disability. 

With what happened in New York’s Twin Towers (World Trade Center) last week, Disabled Americans need to know these facts. You are on your own once you board a plane, bus, or train. I have been a passenger in planes since 1974 and believe me, my first flight was a blast. Every moment, every sound and every color would be remembered. Every sound, and every color.  

After last week’s tragic events, I will be thinking about safety when on any plane. I will be making fast friends with the person in the seat next to me because my life could depend on it. 

Getting on a plane from your wheelchair can also be a very embarrassing moment. The disabled person may feel helpless because he will need assistance to accomplish this fete. Two airplane employees have to lift you out of your wheelchair to put you in a chair called the L-chair. They strap your body on this chair and lift you up the ramp way stairs. Then airport employees have to lift you from the L-chair to the airplane seat.