Why do you need a wheelchair?

Yujia Ding
August 15, 2024

I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I wanted to say to the lady waiting at the desk next to me, in the middle of the 7th floor of the hospital building, “LEAVE ME ALONE.” Instead, I politely told her I am not comfortable sharing my medical history and physically withdrew, my voice getting softer.

She kept distracting Gordie. Gordie did his best to tuck under the desk but by then, I was already frazzled and just wanted to make my follow-up speech therapy appointment and get back to campus.

This may not be my usual post on my thoughts on education, yet I think it is important to share. Most people who know me have heard of my struggle before, of how I am bothered by individuals coming up to pet my service dog without permission or have witnessed complete strangers asking me why I need a service dog in the first place. Some are nicer than others, asking if its is rude or not. Others, not so much. The common question I get is “who are you training that dog for?” The answer is “nobody.” The dog is mine. The dog has a name. The dog also has a vest on and has a really important job so please go away.

What happened on the 7th floor was this. There was a nurse who had walked out of the clinic and asked who I was training Gordie for. Then, I told the nurse that he is mine and no, she cannot pet him and yes, he was trained at Canine Companions on the campus in Irving. She respected his space and let me be. I proceeded to go to the desk to check out and reschedule my next session, while the lady at the receptionist next to the one I was at proceeded to say she wasn’t afraid of dogs and it’s okay if my dog said hi. No, it’s not and please let me redirect him. [Gordie and I are still a new team and we are learning each other, even if it seems we have it together. I am very lucky Gordie is so easy to work with and so adapatable, and that doesn’t mean we don’t have our struggles.]

Once I got to the desk to begin rescheduling, the lady then proceeded to, while waiting for the receptionist to find my account, ask if I could share what medical condition I have that requires a service dog. This is when I wanted to scream. And this is when I politely said no.

Truthfully, rather than want to scream “leave me alone”, I wanted to ask “Why do you need a wheelchair?” I wanted to poke and prod about her medical history because her medical equipment is the same as my medical equipment: it helps us mitigate whatever condition we have so we can navigate the world better.

I understand Gordie is a dog. I understand he is cute and fluffy and wants to sniff and give kisses. Yet I also want the world to understand that he is medical equipment and he needs to focus so I can have him help me with things that I cannot do without compromising my safety.

My dog is not there for your entertainment. My dog is there for purposes of making sure that I have the support I need to remain independent and be able to mitigate the triggers that can put me in danger. It may not seem like much to an outsider when Gordie picks up an item for me and hands it to me but that little action can prevent profuse sweating that can lead to sudden changes in my blood pressure that can lead to a syncope episode.

Heck, seeing Gordie pick items up and help push the push plates to open automatic doors is cute. I cannot tell you how many times this week on campus students have gawked at how cute it is when Gordie pushes the push plate and the door opens. Okay, I can open the door myself but they are heavy and to be honest, when your dominant arm experiences pins and needles and numbness and pain upon the slightest movement, it’s much nicer to have the door open automatically. And Gordie likes to work. I digress.

Please let working dogs do their jobs. When you see a TSA K9 or a police K9, your instinct isn’t to run up to it and cuddle, is it? Is that because the handler is in an officer and has a firearm on their belt? If that’s the reason, please pretend like I have a softball bat with me and I am wearing a uniform when I am out and about.

Leave working dogs alone. Do not poke and prod us as if we are some kind of walking circus show. Maybe I am being a bit harsh here, as I know some individuals with different abilities welcome questions, but sometimes I just want to be seen as any other individual going about their day. There is a time and a place for questions and at least in this interaction, my body language preceeding the intrusive questioning was indicative of not inviting. And maybe I am overreacting and this lady caught me on a bad day but its exhausting to feel you have to justify your service dog (especially because I am ambulatory) to every staring pair of eyes wherever you go.