Retreat?

So, I went to a work retreat Friday. These are supposed to be a time for people to relax a bit, and talk through some of the weighty issues that we struggle with. Well, relaxing was not what I was up to.

It's amazing, my wheelchair has become enough a part of me that my co-workers have apparently forgotten it. The retreat was scheduled very last minute. And not in an area of the state that we usually would host events. And so the place that was selected wasn't accessible. Cue the huge sigh, and me grabbing my crutches. Grrr!

The site was fine other than a few stair, but I had a bad night the night before , and pain and crutches aren't a great mix. I made it work, but...

The first activity was a "get up, move around, and share something about yourself" kind of thing. Well, that wasn't going to work for me. So I stayed where I was, and thankfully a few people came to me. Otherwise, I would have felt very left out. Clearly, this activity was not planned with accessibility in mind.

The afternoon wrap up included a chance to throw a ball of yarn around and make a web. Except that people throwing things near me makes me very nervous. Thankfully, I managed to dodge when the ball went flying out of control, but really, this was an odd choice for this group.

Part of me wants to feel relieved that my disability is so normal that people almost forget it, but that's the spin I try to put on things. The reality was that they just didn't think about accessibility when planning this retreat. And not because they didn't see my disability as a big deal, but because they ignored the needs that it creates.

So, I hurt, and I'm hurt. Not quite what I needed to get out of this retreat.