Bullshit like this is why it was a struggle to get my mom to accept she needed a walker, and why she is increasingly isolating herself as her mobility gets worse. This stigmatizing shit makes people like her feel ashamed of their disabilities. And quit the jokes about adult diapers, they’re cruel.
I completely agree. There are ways to say "I worry that the candidates are in declining health due to age" without saying "fuck people with disabilities." But I guess that wouldn't make for a very punchy graphic.
Oh do I feel this.
My mother, to whom weekly Mass was something you went to unless you were in the hospital, stopped going to Mass when she sprained an ankle: she didn't want to use crutches or a walker because it was embarrassing. 🙄
Crutches are brutal. I broke my ankle last year and really struggled with them. I did better with a knee scooter, but it was hard to use in the house. My mom has trouble getting her walker around too. I think she’s embarrassed to be seen struggling up ramps, even though her friends wouldn’t judge.
Ouch, I'm so sorry about your ankle! I hope it's better now -- it can be a rough injury to heal.
I used a roller walker for a while after I had a hip replaced and I really needed it but wow I hated feeling so vulnerable. And we're back to how much stigma there is around any "weakness." 🙄
It is really disturbing the implicit bigotry the media shows on so many different levels. And the effects it has on the people in our society.
I feel The Economist owes apology and should fire whoever thought this was a good idea.
