To Email or not to Email - that is the debate

Sometimes when things irritate me, my first response is wanting to give feedback.... As a person with a disability this can be constant and so then are you labelled a criticiser or a campaigner? 

Despite the ups and downs of Monday morning.... We got to the Tattoo on Monday night and our friends had got us very good seats in the block in the middle - fabulous views of the arena... Settled we began to listen to the jolly commentator until he said something to make both my OH and I skin crawl and for once my mild mannered OH commented that he felt patronised. 

The warmed voiced commentator needing to fill the time, was welcoming people and he began my focusing his attention, on those 'special people' in front of the stands - those of us in wheelchairs. Sadly you could tell that the commentator was of an age where, those with disabilities were to be pitied and when attending an event like this, as if it was a major achievement and something special, a "a treat" 

So of course I spent the next few hours writing an email in my head to the organisers......

Dear Sir, 

During our stay in Edinburgh over last weekend to visit friends, they had kindly arranged tickets to the tattoo. We throughly enjoyed such a magnificent event, everyone working so hard to make it such a success. 

I would though like to draw attention to a few minutes that made my husband and I feel very uncomfortable and patronised. We were enjoying the welcome your warm and friendly commentator was giving until, he decided to welcome those "special people in the front of the stands", realisation dawned on us that he was not singling us out because we had crossed the border, or it was our birthdays or the fact I am a health professional (occupational therapist) and my husband a Business analyst, no the way it was presented was asking the abled bodied audience to especially welcome the wheelchair audience as if attending an event such as this was a major achievement and something special "a treat" in as much one would experience a pat on the head. 

In the 21st century and in an age where returning injured veterans and others want to feel that thay are considered the equals to their peers it is ironical that the barrier to feeling on equal footing was not the built environment of the tatto seating which was was designed to blend the audience in every shape and size, but in the perception of the commentator however well intentioned it may have been. May we ask that you share with him how we felt, and that in future, singling out the grand old gentleman of 99 is right and proper, but not the 40 something professional individuals who just happen to be using wheelchairs. 

Once again we thank you for a marvellous evening and we home to time our next visit to come again. 

Kind regards