It’s tough to have a sitting disability when the default posture is so often sitting. Places that most people take for granted, like restaurants and movie theaters, are difficult to navigate. And getting anywhere is its own special challenge.
But what, realistically, are we to do? The whole world is obviously not going to re-design itself for the benefit of a disempowered few.
However, I do have some suggestions. All of the items on this list would benefit those with sitting disabilities. Where possible, I’ve tried to come up with suggestions that are cheap and easy to implement, and that would benefit the general public as well as those with sitting disabilities.
This then, is my wish list.
Recognition
The term “sitting disabilities” isn’t well know, and while that’s the case, it’s easy to ignore the needs of those with sitting disabilities. To my view, recognition must come from two sources.
- Public Awareness: The general public must be made aware of sitting disabilities as a category of disability and recognize the challenges facing the sitting disabled.
- Legal Recognition: I would love it if sitting disabilities were mentioned by name in the ADA and similar legislation in other countries. But in the U.S., anyway, I don’t think that’s highly likely, since many other well-known disabilities are not specifically mentioned. In fact, the ADA purposely avoids listing all qualifying conditions. Which is probably for the best. I, for one, would not want to be the one deciding which conditions count as a disability and which do not. I would also love it if sitting disabilities were given greater recognition through legal precedent. When I tried to find such cases myself, I only found a small handful of cases, and most of them involved battles with insurance companies. Those cases are still valuable examples, but they often revolved more around contractual obligations than the nature of a disability. The downside of setting court precedents is that some poor soul with have to stick it out through what would likely be years of legal suits and counter-suits. I want a precedent to be set, I just don’t want to be the one setting it.
Travel
What good are planes, trains, and automobiles if you’re unable to use them?
Every common mechanized means of transport requires sitting down for the trip. Lots of people complain about taking public transportation, or being stuck in traffic, but your worries are entirely different if you can’t travel at all.
There’s no particular reason people have to sit while traveling, it’s a convention. It would not be terribly difficult to make a few minor modifications.
Cars
- All car seats should include adjustable lumbar support. (This wouldn’t help passengers who can’t sit at all, but it would be hugely helpful for…pretty much everyone who sits in a car.)
- At a minimum, all new cars should be required to have one seat that can recline flat.
- Custom modifications should allow the driver to recline at an angle so they can both keep their body straight and see the road. (I do not expect this feature to come standard, and it may not work in every car. But it would be nice to have an option.)
Trains & Buses
- Travelers should have an established right to stand.
- There should be an empty space along a wall where travelers with sitting disabilities can stand and lean. In buses, this could be the wheelchair space or another dedicated space.
- All trains and buses should have benches long enough to lie down on for the benefit of those who must recline during travel. These should be reserved for the disabled. (I admit, I don’t know how you’d enforce this, or keep the system from being abused by anyone who needs a nap.)
Airplanes & Airports
- Airplanes should have a dedicated space where passengers can stand or stretch without blocking the aisle or standing in the flight attendants’ prep area. (This is another measure that would benefit the public health, not just those with sitting disabilities. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that passengers stand and walk around every 2-3 hours to prevent blood clots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree.)
- Standing spaces with safety straps should be available on all flights for the benefit of those with sitting disabilities.
- Airports should have benches where those with sitting disabilities can lie down.
Offices & Workplaces
- When possible, companies should grant remote or partial-remote status to sitting disabled workers.
- Depending on the individual’s needs and the requirements of the job, companies should allow the use of couches, standing desks, and treadmill desks for sitting-disabled workers.
- Conference rooms should include bar-height tables or lecterns.
- Mid-size and large companies should have a dedicated, private first aid room. (This would be very useful for anyone (sitting-disabled or not) who needs to do physical therapy exercises or stretches, or who simply needs a few minutes to be alone with their pain.)
- Break rooms should include a couch or bench that is suitable for laying down.
Public Spaces
Restaurants
- Restaurants should have at least one bar-height table in each establishment.
Theaters, Cinemas, and Auditoriums
- These event spaces must have dedicated seats that recline flat for the benefit of the sitting disabled.
- There must be a dedicated standing area for patrons. (This would not be of much help for those who can’t stand through an entire program, but it would be cheap to implement. Just take out a couple seats. Or grant the use of wheelchair spaces.)
Medical Facilities
- When possible, doctors should offer appointments via video conferencing, for the benefit of patients who do not have the means to travel to the office.
- Waiting rooms should include couches or benches that allow a person to lie flat.
- Dental chairs should be able to recline flat.