My Dad's Worst Nightmare Came True

My house has always been littered with stools, I’ve had my bathroom sinks turned sideways, and, when I got my learner’s permit, I installed pedal extenders. Pedal extenders do exactly what their name implies, extend the length of the gas and brake pedal so that my feet can reach. When I first started driving, my dad would put them on for me, making sure they were extra tight. As I got more comfortable behind the wheel, he taught me how to take them on and off so that I wouldn’t be dependent on him. Each and every time I put the pedals on under his supervision, he reminded me to make sure the screws were as tight as possible, that they could not be moved without using a special tool. His worst nightmare was that one of the pedals would come loose while driving.

Flash forward to last week. My car is currently in the shop, so I am driving a rental. Someone at the car repair place transferred onto the rental, and everything seemed fine. I had never rented a car before, and honestly, being a dwarf, did not think I would be able to because of the pedal extenders. A couple days later, I am on the local highway driving home when, all of a sudden, the gas pedal slips right off. Luckily, the brake pedal stayed on and someway, somehow I was able to pull over safely without hitting anything or anyone. It was only when the car came to a full stop that I really allowed the panic to take over. 

I tried to put the pedal on myself, hoping I could tighten the screws just enough to make it home, and realized there was no way. I called my mom who decided that she and her boss would come meet me and drive me home. While waiting for them, I went to take the brake pedal off and was shocked to find that it came off way too easily. I was livid, I was scared, and, for the first time in a long time, I felt truly disabled. I didn’t know how to fix the problem because the pedals were supposed to be the fix. 

Once I was home and relatively calmed down, I called the rental car company and tried to explain that I needed them to send me a car that would be compatible with my extenders. I should say that in the past, my dad and I discovered my pedals would fit certain cars and not others, and to find out what worked was a process of trial and error. The rental car representative, not understanding that I had pedal extenders, explained that the process of getting an adaptive car takes 72 hours and that it is possible they will not have a car for me to drive. Finally, after a few minutes of explanation, he understood that I did not need them to provide the pedal extenders, just a different car. He said they could send a new car over but, for liability reasons, they could not install the pedals. They did call the car repair shop, and they were able to have someone come to my house to help. 

On the guy’s first attempt at installing the pedals in the new car, he put the brake on upside down. I pointed that out to him and his response was, “Well, it won’t fit the other way.” As calmly as possible I said to him that I do not feel safe driving with an upside down brake pedal and asked him to please try again. He complied and, though he did install the pedal right side up, it was in a way which was unfamiliar to me, and I was not entirely certain it was safe. Again, I expressed my concerns to the guy who basically minimized my feelings and said that was how it was going to be. 

Not okay with the situation and unsure what to do, I asked the rental car representative to start the process of getting an adaptive car just in case and said I would have a family friend (who has installed my pedals for me when my father could not) check them out and make sure they’re safe and secure. When they left, I remember feeling helpless and that my feelings, my concerns, and my safety did not matter to these people.

A little while later, the rental car representative called me back and said the only adaptive car they had came with pedal extenders that were too short for me. At that point I felt lost and helpless. The people fixing my car had no idea if or when my car would be fixed and there wasn’t an adaptive or accessible car for me to drive. I cried. 

Later that night, my family friend came by and gave his stamp of approval and said the pedals were secure. Despite his reassurances, when I got into the car the next day I was terrified that the nightmare would repeat itself. 

I do realize that being able to drive, as a disabled person, is a privilege for which I am extremely grateful. Still, I cannot drive without accommodations. It is not okay that when I asked someone, whose job it is to help me in this exact situation, for assistance in making a reasonable accommodation, they responded by minimizing my concerns and settling for what worked best for them, not me. In my head, they were taking away my independence, making me feel disabled, and expecting me to be okay with it. I most certainly was not. 

 I wonder, if these two able-bodied men suddenly found themselves in my situation, would they want to be treated in the manner they treated me? Would they want their feelings and concerns minimized? Would they want to feel ignored? Probably not.

Reasonable accommodations are for the person with a disability, not for the able-bodied individual.