Exclusion: The Law in Their Pockets
Published on June 6, 2019 at 10:00 am
Most of us remember running errands with our parents when we were kids. I have these memories as well, but probably for a different reason. My parents are both blind and, in the 1970s and 1980s, some people had a mindset that supported exclusion over inclusion.
On more than one occasion I recall having a manager or owner of a business pointing toward the door telling my parents they were not to enter with their (service) ‘dogs.’ One of my parents would pull a card out of their pocket or bag. It was official looking, and on it was the law regarding guide dogs in public places. With hesitation, the owners permitted my parents to enter but made them feel uncomfortable.
It didn’t take me long to figure out the treatment of my parents was different than other patrons. I never saw this sort of greeting when shopping with my grandparents. When I was a little older, I began to realize that they needed the law in their pocket to prevent exclusion. Most people cannot fathom something like this happening in their lifetime, yet I can recall it happening [...]