As a blind person, I often find that my voice is unheard or outright ignored in many situations, especially when power dynamics are unbalanced, making it difficult for me to protest or address the issue in the moment. While the stories I share here are centered around travel, these experiences are not isolated to just these scenarios; they’re simply easier to explain and discuss.
Earlier this year, I was traveling home for my sister’s wedding—a significant event for me, so I was anxious about making my flights on time. The first leg of my journey went smoothly. I boarded my flight and informed the attendants that I had a tight connection and would need a meet and assist upon landing to help me reach my next gate quickly. For those unfamiliar, meet and assist services help guide travelers who need assistance to their connecting flights, ensuring they arrive at the right terminal, with stops for food or restrooms if necessary.
However, my meet and assist was more than 25 minutes late and outright refused my request to take the escalators in order to save time, choosing instead to make me take elevators. This is one of the many times when people with disabilities lose their voice. Whether blind or in a wheelchair, we are often at the mercy of the person assisting us. While I can advocate for myself, my ability is limited by power dynamics. Persisting too much can lead to retaliation, such as being left alone in a busy airport. Because of the assistant’s tardiness and insistence on using the elevators, we arrived at the gate just as the plane was leaving. Luckily, I was able to catch a later flight.
My second example follows a similar theme. During a recent vacation flight, a gate agent asked for my boarding pass and moved me from the window seat I had carefully selected and paid for to an aisle seat closer to the front of the aircraft. When I asked for my original seat, I was told I could not have it because it was “too far back,” and I needed to be near the front of the plane. There is no rule, policy, or regulation that requires blind passengers to sit near the front, yet the gate agent made this decision for me without any justification. As a result, I was stuck in an aisle seat, which I try to avoid because I often get hit by people and their bags as they pass.
Both of these examples highlight situations where I lacked power and where my advocacy wasn’t enough to change the outcome. In both instances, someone in a position of power used their control to make decisions for me without considering my input. This is a common occurrence for people with disabilities.
Power dynamics take many forms, and while they cannot be fully covered here, I hope these examples spark conversation and raise awareness. There are three main types of power dynamics that affect people with disabilities: cultural, interpersonal, and institutional.
Cultural power is broadly where my prior examples fall. Decisions are often made for me based on societal perceptions of what people with disabilities can or cannot do, without any real understanding of my abilities. Every person with a disability, much like every able-bodied person, has a unique set of skills, strengths, and weaknesses. It’s impossible to generalize our needs and abilities. Communication and openness are key. While I might have been comfortable taking the escalators to save time, another person with a disability might have preferred the elevator. This has resulted in my being prevented from entering restaurants with a guide dog, take rideshares, and the prior examples among many others.
Interpersonal power describes the dynamic between a person with disabilities and family members or caregivers. When someone relies on another person for help with groceries, transportation, medical care, or other aspects of daily life, this creates a power imbalance. The person providing help can often exert control over the individual who needs assistance.
Institutional power is held by governments, workplaces, and organizations. This dynamic is often felt through rules and regulations that negatively impact people with disabilities. For example, in the United States, individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are subject to strict rules that limit their ability to save money or earn additional income without jeopardizing their healthcare or monthly benefits. If someone receiving SSI finds a job, they must stop receiving benefits. However, if that job falls through, there’s typically a three-month wait to re-enroll, leaving people without income or healthcare for an extended period. In the workplace, inaccessible systems and processes create barriers and can lead to mental health issues, as people with disabilities often have to work extra hours to achieve the same level of output as their peers.
The power dynamics discussed here are deeply rooted in history and cultural perceptions. Blind people, specifically, have often been perceived as helpless or uneducated. In many countries and cultures, people who are blind are denied opportunities and forced to live in group homes, beg, or work in menial jobs for a fraction of the pay. Within the United States, individuals with multiple disabilities are often placed in work programs that pay significantly below minimum wage under the guise of “training,” resulting in cheap labor that erodes an individual’s self-worth and confidence. This reinforces the damaging notion that people with disabilities are only worth minimal pay. As society continues to evolve toward greater understanding, acceptance, and openness, these ingrained ideas and perceptions continue to influence how people with disabilities are treated daily.
These power dynamics are not unique to my experiences. They represent broader societal issues that many people with disabilities face daily. While we may not always have the power to change every situation, it’s crucial to create a space for discussion and awareness. The more people understand these dynamics, the closer we come to a society where everyone’s autonomy and voice are respected. By sharing these stories and encouraging open dialogue, we can begin to dismantle some of the harmful assumptions and practices that limit the independence of people with disabilities.