Thanks for reading, Chris! Yes, acquiring a disability definitely changes one’s world view. It took me roughly 2 years after my accident to make the mental adjustments necessary to accept that shift in perspective. As far as the people in this story, I do hope they were just having bad days, and that they don’t harbor some form of prejudice against those who aren’t able-bodied. That being said, it’s hard to say, as I’m treated differently by strangers now that I’m in chair versus when I was able-bodied. Mostly it’s misplaced pity and a leap to the conclusion that I need help with everyday tasks. The stories in this post were extreme examples of reactions in which, for whatever reason, I became the focus of someone’s anger. Fortunately, cases like these a very few and far between.