My Sisyphean Inbox and the "Unaccompanied Adult" Badge
My Sisyphean Inbox and the "Unaccompanied Adult" Badge
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a massive boulder up a steep hill, only for it to roll back down every time he approached the summit.
Hello everyone!
It is not typical for me to send an email on a Saturday, but I was busy wrapping up two major projects this week, while performing accessibility reviews at many of Boston’s most popular attractions.
Due to the week’s workload, this email will be a short one, but I look forward to catching-up with you next week from Richmond, Virginia. I’ll definitely be ordering a coffee on my pre-dawn flight Monday morning.
Marking 125,000+ notifications as read
Prior to my car accident a decade ago, I strived to eliminate those annoying notification badges which denote unread text messages, emails and so forth on my iPhone. Pursuing “inbox zero” allowed me to rest peacefully.
After a couple months in a coma and the ICU, what was previously manageable became a Sisyphean task and I am sad to say that I have never recovered. Things have really gotten out of control:
Unread personal emails: 119,372 (mostly spam)
Unread Wheelchair Travel emails: 4,043
For the sake of my mental health, I have marked (almost) everything as read — it’s time for a fresh start. If you sent something before January 1 and would still like a response, please reach out again — emails should be sent to mailbag@wheelchairtravel.org.
Before you send an email, please review these resources:
The depth of information found in these guides is tremendous — answers to the most common (and many not-so-common) questions are provided there. Please also use the website’s search function, and review the Top 23 Accessible Travel Articles of 2023 to see what others were reading.
If you would like to go deeper, let’s set up a call. Newsletter subscribers who upgrade to the “Founding Member” level are able to schedule a phone or video call with me to discuss accessible travel or whatever is on your mind. I have added a plethora of times in February, including some weekends. The opportunity to connect with readers like you is a real joy, and I am grateful for your support!
Unaccompanied adult status, wheelchair assistance and independence
Earlier this week, I visited the Boston Children’s Museum to perform a quick accessibility assessment for my soon-to-be-updated Boston Wheelchair Accessible Travel Guide. The museum is the second oldest children’s museum in the United States and recently celebrated its 110-year anniversary.
Before visiting, I had to consult the admissions policy — many children’s museums do not welcome adults unless they are accompanying a child. That seems like a sensible policy, given that the museum is by definition a children’s museum, with exhibits and activities specifically targeted at youth.
Solo adults are required to leave picture identification at the ticket desk and to wear an “Unaccompanied Adult” badge.
As I explored the museum, its exhibits, play places and activity rooms, I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. I thought, what must these parents think about me, the “unaccompanied adult” who is rolling around and taking pictures of the museum?
The experience brought to mind a trip earlier this month when, while making a connection at the Dallas airport, airline staff insisted on accompanying me from one gate to the next. Each time we approached someone in our path, the aide yelled “wheelchair!” It was embarrassing and, even without the repeated “wheelchair” announcement, I would still have been frustrated. I use my own wheelchair and am an independent person. I can follow signs through the airport just fine, thanks.
I thought it funny that my preference was quite different in the children’s museum, where I would have loved for a staff member to accompany me on the tour!
All that said, I was happy to bear the temporary burden of feeling out of place, as the Boston Children’s Museum offers a high level of accessibility to kids and parents with disabilities — I’m excited to share that good news for the benefit of families who utilize WheelchairTravel.org as a resource.
The museum visit aside, I wonder how much assistance disabled travelers prefer to receive from airline and other staff? If you use a wheelchair of your own, do you like when assistance staff lead you to your departure gate? I suppose it is different for every person, but I would love to hear your perspectives. How much help is the right amount, and how much is too much? And finally, is an expedited path through crowds worth the unwanted attention and repeated shouts of “wheelchair!?”
Looking ahead
Next week, I plan to publish a series of new articles, including one that will define my 2024 accessible travel advocacy objectives and another addressing some revealing truths about airplane (in)accessibility — and what has really prevented wheelchair spaces and ADA-style bathrooms from being installed.
Catch you next from Richmond, where I have some exciting activities planned that I look forward to sharing with you.
See you next week,
John
Enjoy this song, Sisyphus, written and performed by Andrew Bird (my favorite artist). It is the opening track of his 2019 album, My Finest Work Yet.
I laughed when I read your annoyance with airport assistance. My husband hates it when I agree to it, but I have found it so helpful, especially in new airports. Not only do they know the easiest paths, but they have the airport passes that let them use routes that are forbidden to us mortals. And as far as yelling "wheelchair", it's much better that rolling up behind people who are blocking the way and saying politely "excuse me". I sometime want an airhorn.
But I also laughed because I think it's also the difference between women being more than willing to ask for directions and men wanting to get lost on their own.
In regard to your question about how much assistance in the airport, I would take this as a question as to how much assistance anywhere. As you said, every person is going to be different - how about the staff ask the person how much assistance they would like? It really is pretty simple and can apply to all areas - presume competence but respectfully ask if there is any thing they could assist you with (which really they should ask anyone being that they are in a service industry).