Dating while disabled is no easy feat, and trying to make your move as a disabled college student can be especially challenging. Allison Parker, a college junior, has found a new place to meet potential suitors: the campus pharmacy.
“Our 200,000-person campus only has one pharmacist, so there’s always a huge line,” Parker said. “During the twenty-minute wait, there’s plenty of time to spark up conversation.”
Those looking to meet new people can pick from a handful of easy icebreakers: the long wait, the pharmacy’s limited hours and the strange painting on the wall are surefire ways to start a conversation.
“I always dress up for my monthly pharmacy runs because I know I’ll be meeting new people,” freshman Eliza Garza said. “Something about the intimacy of being at the pharmacy and sharing the common enemy that is the American healthcare system makes it an optimal venue for meet-cutes.”
According to Parker, the disability center on the outskirts of campus is only open two hours a week and is usually empty. Given that only 37% of disabled students inform their university of their disability, looking outside of established community events is a must. A trip to the centrally located pharmacy, for example, is the perfect way to run into old and new friends.
“I met my boyfriend of five months at the campus pharmacy,” senior Alex Singh said. “He was picking up his blood pressure meds, I was picking up my migraine meds. I complimented his cute compression socks, and we’ve been talking ever since.”
“Even if the person you meet isn’t disabled, this meeting place takes some of the pressure off of the disability conversation,” said freshman Lydia Nguyen. Nguyen recommends going ten minutes before closing on a Friday afternoon, when the pharmacy is busiest, for optimal mingling.
“During my last prescription pickup, I met this cute basketball player with a knee injury. I gave him some tips I’ve learned from years of joint pain. Naturally, we exchanged numbers. There’s something in the air in this place,” Nguyen said.