Before I start this post. It is going to read as if it is totally off topic. Please bear with me because it is going to take multi posts to tie everything together and show its relevance to cycling. Because of the nature of the issue I will not be holding anything back and I will be exposing sensitive information about myself
(NOT personally identifying information) to help establish a perspective that is not the same as a non disabled that deals with cycling.
No one is forcing you to read this thread, so please let me have my say.
Chapter 1 About myself
list of impairments vs a person who is normal by non disabled perspective.
1. hearing loss, low end of moderate to profound. Moderate is 1/2. Profound is deaf. wearing in excess of $3000 in defective hearing equipment. "exclusion factor" is the reason I am being forced to wear expensive defective garbage.
2. learning disability
(NOT developmentally challenged) I graduated top 1/5th among normals, despite the two listed impairments and exclusion. Missed honor society by 1 class, when I did not even know it existed, till last semester of high school. Listed in my school k-12 file, in capital letters and underlined "EXTREME UNDERACHIEVER" , exclusion was the biggest reason for this. Because of 1 and 2 Normals decided I was inferior and excluded me from participating in things like the honor society.
(Not based on capability but based on stigmas and myths) That the honor society was exclusive for elite only. Turns out, those same elite, in the honor society, were cheating their way through tests and homework. I personally caught them handing answers back and forth on test. Once I found out they were in the honor society, things clicked in place and the cheating wasn't random as I had originally believed. Reason for mentioning the cheaters is if they had played fairly. My standing would have been even higher in the graduating class. I never cheated. And I am proud of that fact, I never cheated.
3. Due to forced premature I have skeletal problems with connective tissue. I get severe pain from nerve pinching due to loose connective tissue. Standing on hard surfaces or walking distance is extremely painful, which is one of the reasons I bike everywhere instead of walk.
4. heart defect had heart surgery when was 26. Food additives and other chems used on food was the trigger to make this a big issue for me.
5. Atypical panic attacks This was caused by the torture and abuse by my peers due to number 1 and 2 above. I have had bodily arson done to me for the sole purpose to entertain a bully who was bored. Another incident broke my right arm for same reason as first. The actions were linked to numbers 1 and 2. Fact is, many people get insecure when they feel someone they perceive as inferior is doing better than they are.
(class standing in top 1/5 despite 2 major impairments, and exclusion, in point of fact)
6. inability to function well within interpersonal, and professional relationships, Due to 1, 2 and 5.
7. Unable to work. Not because of the impairments but the exclusion by the non disabled who control almost every aspect of life. The exclusion has nothing to do with sub par or inferior performance. It is solely the refusal to include even when I am so over qualified to perform the job and willing to work for less pay than the next.
(Number 7 is absolutely not open for debate, 7 has nothing to do with lack of trying or being free loader or any other excuses given by those who do not know the exact details and life experiences I went through. I am 100% unemployable because of the "Exclusion" factor, not my impairments.)
8. numbers 5,6, 7 are the core of the determination for my SSDI by the SSA administration that declared my "disabled" status. NOT every aspect of your life has to be completely impaired to be classed "disabled." Minimum 2 major life activities need to be severely impaired.
There is a difference between having disabilities and being disabled. Will explain this further later.
9. Income is severely impaired by 1-8 and most of all by the "Exclusion factor."
10. Sleep apnea requiring auto adjusting CPAP
Note I did not write this from a victimization perspective. Victimization core is, the perceiving of being a victim when you are not actually a victim. Victimization is NOT the perceiving of being a victim when in fact you are one. The example of this second point is, my pointing out about the "bodily arson" That was a fact that happened in front of witnesses of 34 people, who stood by and did not do anything to stop it or laughed along with the person committing the torture. No actions were taken against this person. If it had happened today, that person would have been declared an adult and tried as an adult and thrown in prison. "Bodily arson is torture" by the definition of torture. I lost half my hair, If I had bent over a second earlier, I would have permanent scaring today.
My last sentence here, is based on, if I had bent over any sooner I would have been out of reach of said arson to put the fire out. I did not know I was on fire till after I was hit hard on my head by the arsonist torturer, to put said fire out.
I added the part about victimization because it came up in other forums, people who were accusing me of it, didn't really understand what it was and thought it applied to people, who were pointing out the facts of things that happened to themselves. It is also used as a means of excusing the criminal actions of the person committing the crime. It is wrong to justify the criminal actions period. This is tied to morals and ethics, and justice.
I am a survivor. A messed up one, but a survivor none the less. Psychiatrist and psychologists, I have dealt with over the years say that any reasonable person would have suicide in junior high going through the stuff I did, without a doubt statistically speaking. I have an exceptionally strong will to live, right from forced 2 months premature and on.
This "personal" background is the core as to why riding bicycle is vital for 100% of my transportation needs. And why my riding style, I use, is vital to keep me from getting killed by negligent drivers.
Now when you look at the rest of the posts establishing the issue, effecting many poor disabled, put your self in my shoes with the difficulties above, Not as a non disabled. If you can do this you will be enlightened of the normalized exclusion of a disadvantaged class of people.
Here is the guardian regarding the Gym issue following the Paralympics2012 The exclusion was so normalized that it wasn't seen as an issue, till it was brought forward to public attention using the poor disabled perspective, that yes this was a serious problem.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/sep/10/gym-access-disabled-people-campaigners
The reason for using the gym example is cycling is mostly considered a "sport", Not a means of transportation of freedom of movement.
Chapter 2 is to follow, This chapter will be about the definition of "disability" and "disabled" A different perspective than the ones used by the medical and non disabled people.
chapter 3 "Exclusion factor"
Chapter 4 the ISSUE
Chapter 5 specific situation as detailed example showing how the issue is doing severe harm.
(using my personal situation I find myself in currently) When poor disabled, like me, are finding that we are being excluded in full participation of cycling.
(Partial inclusion is not enough, when it involves restricting our ability to care for ourselves.) I don't just mean recreational cycling like the man with the hand-petal bike(
I have never personally heard of a hand-pedal bike being used as a means of transportation from point a to point b and for hauling of goods from shopping etc.) Recreational riding is more inclusive than other riding methods.
The chapters may change order or topic, due to unforeseen comments made by others.
Disabled Rider
, forgive us, we are (mostly) european, evil sense of humor 
. I had to find out from a stranger
.....hay! Wait a moment
