When Headlines Get It Wrong

Disability keeps man from riding roller coaster

Susan Hogan, Channel 12 WPRI - August 25, 2014

Let's be clear, shall we? Six Flags and their rules kept the man from riding the roller coaster, not the man's disability. The disability had something to do with it, but it was the company's decision. Whether or not the decision was unjustified is another question. I suspect they are a bit too cautious, particularly when partial leg amputation imposes relatively little in terms of practical impairment. But either way, it was an institutional decision, not a natural consequence of disability. That is a huge conceptual difference that people often get wrong get wrong all the time.