Mercyhurst Lakers center Carson Briére just went viral for all the wrong reasons. (AP Photo)
“It might seem like nothing more than immature, drunken behaviour, but what Briere and his friends did is a frightening example of complete disregard for the humanity of disabled people,” Emily Ladau told Yahoo Sports Canada. “As a wheelchair user, even when I'm not physically sitting in it, I consider my chair an extension of my body. Damaging my wheelchair means you're disrespecting me and taking away my freedom of movement. The issue here isn't just damaged property or bad choices; it's that ableism, privilege, and entitlement are on full display.”
-Ian Kennedy, Yahoo Sports
This story about Carson Briére, student athlete at Mercyhurst University and son of Philadelphia Flyers interim GM Daniel Briére, is beyond disturbing. Not only is the ableism and entitlement on full display, so is the complete disregard for autonomy. Wheelchairs are expensive medical equipment costing thousands of dollars and can take upward of a year to obtain depending on fitting, measurements, insurance denials, etc.
I've watched this video several times in disbelief. I was shaking with fear not only for the user whose wheelchair was so callously disrespected, but also with the stark reminder that this could have happened to me. This is a nightmare for every wheelchair user who has been forced to navigate inaccessible environments.
Emily is right. Our medical equipment be it a wheelchair, a cane, a scooter, or a service dog like Canine Companions® Pico are extensions of us and our body. Through that lens, this is beyond the destruction of property. This is assault. Briére's actions have caused a loss of bodily autonomy that may take months to regain along with the financial and emotional impact.
The laws have not caught up yet, however.
This experience highlights so many injustices; inaccessibility, ableism, privilege, entitlement and a lack of empathy and understanding around disability.
#disabilityawareness #disabilityrights #disability #medicalequipment #sports #hockey #flyers