EDITOR:
I would like to broach an issue which makes some people uncomfortable but needs to be addressed. This is discrimination in public places against people with behavioral issues.
I’m a resident of Windemere Residential Care Facility in Riverside, a type of assisted living community for people who have been deemed legally incapacitated by the courts. In the more than a year since I’ve moved there I’ve ventured out into the community for various reasons, namely stores, libraries, eating and drinking establishments, and the like. Something I’ve noticed even though I am lucid and high-functioning is that there seems to be a sense of generalization and stigmatization toward people who live “in that place” which is really troubling and uncalled for, and is frankly a violation of the rights and regulations laid forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Unkind acts and words toward people whose only sin is that they aren’t recognized as ‘a regular’ and assumed to be from the facility is a serious and egregious action which needs to be acknowledged and remedied. I am reminded of the phrase “There but for the grace of God go I” when I think how some of us are treated while out in the community.
So the next time you come across someone whom you consider “different” and not within the so-called “normal” spectrum, please remember to treat such people with respect and dignity; in other words, how you yourself would like to be treated.
Thank you in advance for your change of action.
--M.S. Carpenter
Riverside