So if you're not here to listen to me complain about how people make false judgments about people with disabilities this is not the video for you my dears.

But if that does sound like something you want to watch... oh-boy! go get yourself some tea friends!

We're going to talking about priority seats.

"What are priority seats?" some of you might be asking.

Priority seats or seats that are reserved on modes of public transport such as trains, buses, trams, tubes or subways as they're called in other parts of the world and boats.

Even boats can have them.

And these seats are signposted as being priority seats and they are reserved for people who are of an older age, people who are pregnant and people who are with small children.

I think that's everyone.

Oh wait! No, no wait. No, no, they're for another group of people as well. They are for disabled people!

But there are those people out there who seem to act like the priority seat police and go around policing people who they don't think deserve to be sat in priority seats,

or don't look disabled enough to sit in priority seats.

And there are those people who don't even seem to compute that disabled people are entitled to sit in priority seats as well.

First of all, let me just say that I'm not tarring everybody with the same brush.

Because there are people who are understanding and who do know that people with disabilities need to be sat in seats that are priority seats,

and that there are also people who have invisible disabilities.

But there are also those who don't understand that and even when you do explain it to them they don't seem to compute what you're saying.

Now I've had many occasions in my life as a person with a disability, as a person with a severe visual impairment and who uses a long cane, but also a guide dog.

But also has an invisible disability where had experiences where people have got on a bus or a train or whatever,

and they've looked at me and they've in their head they've calculated that I don't look like I'm a disabled person.

Whatever that's supposed to mean!

And then either point-blank, order me to get out of my seat,

or they would make some backhanded comment like "Oh! these are supposed to be priority seats for people who need them!"

And I have the guide dog, I just get this look on my face and I'm like "All right, you want to see my disability? Let me show you!"

And then go "Come on, Unity!" and I get her to get up.

Although there are lots of people think I am just the guide dog trainer, so there's that as well. So you can never win!

But then when I use my long cane and not my guide dog on those rare occasions,

people seem to be even more accusatory of me and that becomes really difficult as well.

And to be honest, it really makes me feel quite apprehensive.

Now it seems to me that people categorically understand that people who are elderly need these seats, people who are pregnant or who have small kids need these seats.

But often I feel like disabled people get the raw deal and I think the fact of the matter is is that's because a lot of disabilities are invisible.

In fact a study in the U.S in 2002 concluded that 96% of people who have a disability have an invisible one.

A huge part of my disability is invisible.

The visual impairment is the tip of the iceberg and then everything else is submerged underneath.

Now let's be real on this one okay, there are people who do abuse pirority seats and who sit there; who don't need them.

Let's not dispute that.

But there are people who literally just have no regard for what a priority seat is.

I mean there was one time where I got on a train to the airport and I was getting assistance onto the train,

and the assistance asked if the people who were sat there was able to move and they point-blank refused.

Not because of any medical or physical reasons as to why they needed to sit there.

Oh no! They just wanted to sit there because they didn't want to have to move their luggage and they needed to put their luggage where the priority seats were.

It's not for us to act as the priority seat police and get on a bus and judge people based on how they look and whether they look "disabled enough" to sit in a priority seat.

And you don't know they could have an illness which means that they need to sit down for a variety of reasons

and I don't think it's fair that disabled people are made to feel like they've got to validate themselves and their disability or their illness,

and justify to a complete stranger why they need that seat and why they are entitled to sit there just as much as that person who's asking for the seat is as well.

If you get on a bus and you see someone or you see people that already sat in priority seats,

you know you can say "Is anyone able to give me a seat?"

That's a polite way of asking and it's basically opening a discussion and it's giving people the option.

"Is anybody able to give me a seat?"

I remember, last year one awful example that I had was when I was coming back on a bus,

I didn't have my guide dog, because she had an operation on her claw to be removed 'cause there was an issue with it.

And I had to go out so I had to leave her at home.

I was on the bus going home and it was quite busy and I had a variety of different responses.

So I had the sort of people who make the backhanded comments like "I thought these were priority seats."

And then there was a guy who basically got on the bus sat down behind me after someone else gave him a seat,

and then went on to say that "She knows that I need a seat. She's just just pretending not to look at me! I need this seat! I needed to sit there. She's just pretending not to look at me."

Now I wouldn't usually say anything, I would have usually just let that go.

I was like "No, I'm not having this!" and I turn around I said,

"Excuse me, I am visually impaired, okay? I can't see. I am severely sight impaired. I've got 10% percent remaining vision in one eye."

"If you wanted this seat, you should have asked me, because I didn't see you get on the bus. I didn't see that you needed this seat."

His response was that he wasn't talking about me he was talking about a woman who was sat on the seat behind the bus driver.

Whether or not that was true or not, I have no idea of knowing.

But even so, how do you know that that woman behind the bus driver didn't also need that seat?

I really can't stand it when people get on the bus or a train or whatever,

and they look around and start policing people and judging them based on what they look like,

whether they look like they need that seat and essentially whether they look disabled enough to be able to sit there!

It's not even just priority seats, it's disabled toilets as well.

It's so many different things and it really really angers me, because people don't need to look like they've got a disability.

What does "looking disabled" even constitute or mean?

There are so many disabilities and illnesses that aren't even visible.

And actually, I think recently, a lot of priority seats notices actually said,

"Remember that not all disabilities are visible" or "It might not always be apparent as to why someone needs to sit in that seat."

And I actually think that's really really really good.

But it's in very small writing at the bottom.

And to be honest, I think it should be made big; say it loud and proud, travel companies.

"Not every disability is visible." or "Don't judge people based on what they look like."

Or "don't act like the priority seat police."

Some catchy witty slogan which basically makes people stop and think.

I still get these comments all the time and it's both with and without my guide dog,

and it really really really frustrates me that I still have to deal with people judging me on how I look, judging that I don't look disabled enough,

and me having to feel like I have to explain or validate to someone why I need to sit in a priority seat.

But if you can give up your seat and someone's asked you for it because they need it, if you can then that's great; get up and move to a different seat.

But if you can't, you should in no way shape or form be made to feel guilty or be ashamed for that or be made to feel like you've got to give a long monologue of your health history.

I really think people need to be very mindful about how they say things.

It's one thing to ask people who are sat in priority seats "Are you able to give up your seat?" or "Would anyone be able to give up this seat for me please?"

That's a polite way of asking it.

Because I think often people don't do that, I'm afraid.

We've all made false judgments about people, we've all made mistakes.

I understand that there are lots of different reasons why people need priority seats,

and of course 4 priority seats in the front of a bus is not enough seats really. For priority seats, there should be more.

But unfortunately, that's all there is and there are times when not everybody can sit in a priority seat because there's too many people in the priority seats already,

and you know you've just got to try and deal with it as best you can.

Whether that means getting on another seat or getting on another bus or whatever that means.

So that's the end of today's video. I really hope you enjoyed it.

Do let me know in the comments. Have you ever experienced people who act like the priority seat police and judge you based on the way you look?

Because I would really like to know if other people with different disabilities have experienced this one as well.

And also be sure to hit that subscribe button and also be sure to click the notification bell down below so won't miss updates when I post new videos.

And that's everything for this video today guys and I will see you all in my next one!

Bye!