by Lynda Kohn

Created on: December 07, 2008

My article is on an incident that I personally experienced that I believe dramatically illustrates US societies attitude toward physical and psychiatric disabilities. It is I confess only one experience. However I believe it is typical of most Americans, if not most people's thoughts toward visible handicaps and those what are part of a mental illness.

A couple days ago as I was riding on a local Philadelphia public bus a man came on. He was talking rather loudly to himself. At least that's how it seemed to everybody who noticed him. I include myself too. He appeared if not exactly agitated, somebody who was quite excited. I wouldn't say he was enthused. There was more a tone of expediency. It was if he was rushing to get his words out. It was like repeated rapid spurts of thoughts rushing from his mouth.

It seemed to me that quite a few people noticed him. Yet they behaved as best they could to seem as if they didn't. Perhaps it was their uneasiness as expressed by their uptight body language they made me think they weren't totally ignoring his strange behavior.

As for myself I was conversing with a sweet somewhat elderly woman. We didn't know each other. Somehow we started talking to each other. I don't usually talk to strangers on a SEPTA* vehicle. She gave me the impression of friendliness.
Maybe it was her kindly expression that made me feel that way. I found her easy to converse with.

Her blind woman friend was riding with her. Unfortunately the visually impaired woman forgot her handicap card to ride for a reduced rate. The bus driver made her pay the full fare. It was clear by her dark glasses and cane that she suffered from a sight disability. Yet the bus driver still made her pay the regular rate.

The woman sitting next to me, her friend got up and gave the woman a quarter to enable her friend to ride the bus.
She was a quite frail elderly woman. Yet because of the driver's strict interpretation of the rules, she felt forced to get up to help the situation.

I wonder how many people were sorry for the blind woman. I bet a lot more than were sympathetic toward the man who was talking to himself. Here is a situation where two people who are disabled were in the same vicinity. Yet I am certain if there were people feeling sympathy for either handicapped person it was toward the visually impaired woman

I need to make a confession here. The man I referred to goes to the same voc. rehab program I do. Its a place for mental health consumers. Its called Chestnut Place

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