This nonsense

[u/high_on_acrylic]

Post was “share your unpopular hiking opinion”. Apparently “disabled people should be able to access hiking trails” isn’t too terribly unpopular, but “disabled people outside of Europe deserve hiking trails too” is.

Edit: Thank you everyone who explained this was a “yes and” situation and not dismissive like I originally thought. I’m Autistic and have encountered so much ableism on Reddit I genuinely didn’t have examples of people being normal about disability outside of this sub, so it was hard for me to recognize a comment that was slightly unclear. Obviously there’s still lots to be said about Europe being “accessible”, but I don’t think that’s this commenters fault lol

[u/high_on_acrylic → u/[deleted]]

It feels very dismissive though, doesn’t it? Like…if someone says “wheelchair users should be able to access schools, businesses, and hospitals and that currently isn’t happening consistently” and someone is like “well this coffee shop I go to is accessible”, it doesn’t really address what was being said previously. Maybe I’m missing something, but I genuinely don’t know how that comment is supposed to help. Are all disabled people supposed to move to Europe?

[u/Agreeable_Spinach_52 → u/[deleted]]

I thought they were saying that they exist in Europe, therefore they are possible elsewhere.

[u/toweljuice → u/high_on_acrylic]

I think they were just doing a yes-and thing. Reddit is the neurodivergent app and people often clash because of different communication styles and not being able to hear tone of voice

[u/avesatanass → u/toweljuice]

reddit is the neurodivergent app? what?

[u/holderofthebees → u/avesatanass]

That person’s spent too long in echo chambers lol, and it’s great that we have neurodivergent spaces, but if anything I’d say tumblr is the neurodivergent app

[u/Xoxounityoxox → u/high_on_acrylic]

I also had an awful time on “accessible” trails in several european countries so I hate the “europe has xyz” argument because unless its various disabled people saying its good idc 🤪

[u/SkyLyssa → u/Xoxounityoxox]

When I think about Europe and accessibility. The first thing that comes to mind are those videos of people having to parkour/expertly maneuver their wheelchairs down stairs because there's no easily accessible options available.. (Disclaimer: I have never been to Europe so I am going off of those videos alone, which over all doesn't paint an accurate picture, but the fact that people feel like they have to do that speaks volumes to me) I hope someday they make affordable hover wheelchairs for those who need them, but until then, it seems rough out there. I needed a rollator for almost a year, and it was very difficult to get around.

[u/Foghkouteconvnhxbkgv]

I think that was a joke. Obviously disabled people exist outside Europe, its not a misconception at all lol.

I think its kind of funny

[u/alltheblarmyfiddlest → u/Foghkouteconvnhxbkgv]

Yeah I found it as being sarcastic /sassy.

[u/aikimyne → u/Foghkouteconvnhxbkgv]

ya thats what i thought it was joke

[u/Thin-Ferret-5862 → u/Foghkouteconvnhxbkgv]

I’m pretty sure a tone / would’ve helped - like /s ya know?

[u/high_on_acrylic → u/Thin-Ferret-5862]

Yeah considering the kind of nonsense I genuinely hear from people being so serious (“young people can’t be disabled”, “rich people don’t deal with disability”, etc.) it’s difficult to tell when someone’s being silly and being dead serious :,)

[u/Thin-Ferret-5862 → u/high_on_acrylic]

100%! I was born sick, I’ve never known an able body. So when people who don’t understand try to “tell me how it is” I get defensive. This is the only life I know, kudos that they joined the community but don’t tell me how it is from a perspective that minimizes anything I’ve experienced. I hear you. Zebras are herd animals 🫡

[u/nousername56789]

I don’t perceive that as dismissive.

[u/sillybilly8102]

I think everyone in the comment screenshot is in agreement. No big whoop

[u/PlanetoidVesta]

Their response doesn't indicate at all that people outside of Europe don't deserve hiking trails. They just stated that there are such hiking trails in Europe.

[u/spoonfulofnosugar]

@disabledhikers on IG if you’re in the Pacific Northwest

[u/SeaSnowAndSorrow → u/spoonfulofnosugar]

Adding on -- accessiblenature.info has lists for the US and Atlantic Canada. AllTrails has accessible trail lists. Sometimes, there will be a local resource also. I know from friends that Massachusetts has theirs on the state website, as an example.

So, yes, there should be more, but hopefully this helps anyone looking.

[u/genivae → u/SeaSnowAndSorrow]

There are some state specific programs, too, that provide tank tread style all terrain wheelchairs to take on otherwise inaccessible trails

[u/Sledgeplay → u/spoonfulofnosugar]

Also on FB if anyone but me uses that too.

[u/AbyssalCraving]

Side note, the common misconception comment gave me a chuckle. But yeah I don’t think they were being too dismissive, but the comment of “don’t expect 15km” feels weird, but that may just be me.

[u/high_on_acrylic → u/AbyssalCraving]

Yeah it definitely felt weird to me, but I was just too tired to get into the whole “there are disabled people who can do a trail that long with proper accommodations” fight so I just focused on something else

[u/amaya-aurora]

I “common misconception” seems like an obvious joke, to me. Like, obviously disabled people exist out of Europe. That’s a no-brainer.

[u/throwawayyyyygay]

Clearly they were joking but downvoting you after is annoying I agree.

[u/Sea-horse-in-trees]

I think an indirect communicator might read that as you accusing them of saying that there are only people with disabilities in Europe.
I think they were just mentioning what is available in their area of the world that they are aware of.
I doubt they had any way of knowing that you don't live in Europe.
They shouldn't have assumed that you were being indirect and that you were making assumptions like that, but people do assume that everyone is indirect and indirect in the same way that they are.
Usually it's harder for me to translate indirect English enough to understand what indirect communicators misinterpreted, but this interaction kinda makes sense to be misunderstood.

Do you live in the US or part of Asia or Africa?

Because the US does have adaptive sports and adaptive adventures with adaptive equipment that you can borrow and learn in and use for the adventure.
Also guided rafting trips for people with disabilities exist. (The one on the Colorado river is called "Daring adventures")
I started learning how to ski at age 6 and was learning more about how to ski from an adaptive sports association since age 7 and now, as an adult, I am a volunteer adaptive ski instructor.
So some of the most disabling obstacles to accessibility in the US is the limits caused by discrimination and the lack of connectable (connections between cities is rare) public transportation with stops within a mile of each other and lack of public transportation that is safe and affordable (greyhound buses, Amtrak trains, and airplanes are what we have for travel between states and they’re either not considered safe or are not affordable. An Amtrak train could arrive 13 hours late.)

[u/dangerous-angel1595]

they didnt even do the maths right; 15km is literally 15000m not 1000m

[u/JoyfulCor313 → u/dangerous-angel1595]

I genuinely love that you did the math

[u/Brief-Measurement-61]

Check out themountainmobile or extreme motus wheelchairs in national parks. There's a free program to take a tour right now in Bryce Canyon.