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"Removing this barrier would create a barrier for someone else."

Disclaimer

This article is sarcasm. Although this article seems describe almost exactly how some people refuse legitimate accommodation, it is actually designed to show what not to do - barriers should be removed, not fought for. It is also part of a larger article, How to Keep Your Barriers.

Phrase Description

This can be useful! With this phrase, you can even make yourself look good while making the person who asked look like she doesn't care about inclusion or other people, only themselves. After all, they were inconsiderate enough to ask for you to remove one of your cherished barriers - they obviously don't care about you!

It's good to come up with a convoluted hypothetical disability in response to the request. That way you can pretend to be more in-tune with the disability community then the person who made the request. At the same time, you can make it sound like you'd do the request, but just can't, because you can't put a barrier up for someone else. The great part of this is that you are discretely devaluing the person who made the request for the sake of the person you invented!

While using this phrase, be on the lookout for people who might want to negotiate with you and the hypothetical group you created. To avoid this, be careful to not use a hypothetical group that isn't really hypothetical! After all, if you got everyone together to discuss this, there might be a way that the barriers could be removed for everyone.

Usage Example

Customer: It would be nice if you had a parking spot near the entrance for people who have a mobility disability.
Business: Right now, the close spots are often used by pregnant women! You wouldn't want them to have to walk further, would you?

Alternate Example

Customer: I can't see the edge of the counter. Can you mark it somehow so it has a higher contrast?
Business: We can't do that because we are worried about the people who have allergic reactions to dark paint.

Next Phrase

"We've never had a customer complain about that."