CityLab quotes DePoy in article on commuting with an ‘invisible’ condition
The Atlantic’s CityLab quoted Elizabeth DePoy, coordinator of interdisciplinary disability studies and professor of social work at the University of Maine, in the article “Do you know who needs your subway seat?” People dealing with chronic pain, fatigue, dizziness or other health issues may not have any visible symptoms or an assistive device such as a cane or wheelchair, rendering their condition “invisible,” according to the article. “When we think of disability on the public transportation system, we’re really thinking about wheelchairs and people who can’t see,” Depoy said. “When you look at a disability sign, you see a wheelchair, you see a cane, you see an ear, and you see an eye. There’s nothing that says or stipulates policy for anybody else.” This spring, Transport for London (TfL) will issue badges with the message, “Please offer me a seat,” which are intended to be worn by passengers with invisible conditions to encourage others to offer their seats to fellow commuters who may not ‘look’ disabled, the article states.