Most of us are familiar with some form of the saying, “I really put my foot in my mouth” or, “open mouth, insert foot”. It means to (accidentally) say something stupid or offensive. Which everyone is capable of doing at least occasionally. It’s embarrassing. So, what to do about it? Well, you either learn from experience, or you act proactively to learn what not to say in certain situations.
Oftentimes, an individual who is the target of these comments can educate and inform us of actions and comments they find offensive. Anyone who uses a wheelchair, for example, can probably relate at least one experience of a server in a restaurant directing all questions to a person accompanying them, as if the person using a wheelchair cannot speak for themselves. A lot of people might do something like this without thinking; however, if it was pointed out to them, they would refrain from doing it.
So, in an effort to help people who would not knowingly act in such a way, Lucy Webster authored an article in The Guardian about nine things you should never say to a wheelchair user. To read this article, click here: Nine things to never say to a wheelchair user.