I thought they didn't have money because they were disabled

A man who lives in a group home for people with disabilities near the shop sometimes comes in to buy glasses.
I used to think to myself, "He probably doesn't have much money." But that was a huge mistake.

He always arrives at the shop by taking a nursing care taxi to the parking lot, and from there, he is pushed in his wheelchair.

"I had the day off from work at the facility today, so I was bored at the dorm and decided to come buy some glasses."
He doesn't hide in the slightest that he lives in a group home for people with disabilities and works at a vocational facility within that facility.
That's why I find him likable. To him and to me, that is just a normal part of life.

"I'm thinking of buying that one today."
He heads straight for the display where his target glasses are without hesitation, and what he chooses is always among the more expensive items in our shop.

My rude, preconceived notions—which had me thinking "Can he afford this?" at first—are wiped away in an instant.
He doesn't hesitate over the "price" and buys what he likes.

It is true that for people with disabilities, some of their housing and fixed costs are subsidized by the system.
If they use the "Prosthetic Device Benefit System," they can also reduce their out-of-pocket expenses when purchasing glasses.

However, this "Prosthetic Device Benefit System" cannot be used freely as many times as one likes.
There is something called a "service life," and it can only be used once every four years.

He doesn't come to the shop frequently because he can buy glasses cheaply using the system. He pays with his own money, because he needs them, and because he likes them.
I don't know his annual income. I don't know how much his living expenses are. I don't know the details of his life.
But today, he's buying glasses, and after that, he's apparently going out to drink at an izakaya with his friends.

"This person doesn't have any money."

Haven't I been assuming that based on his body, appearance, or lifestyle?
I'll be honest. I did think that. I assumed it on my own. I had a fixed idea.

"Do you like glasses?"
I once asked him that.
"I do like them, but you know, I'm in a wheelchair and have a physical disability. So, at the very least, I want to make sure I can 'see' properly."
When he said that, I felt like I'd been punched.

He isn't free because his living expenses are subsidized by the system.
He is free because he chooses what is necessary and what is unnecessary for his life and his time.

Because "seeing" is necessary for him, he doesn't skimp on investing in it.
He also wears glasses he likes to lift his spirits. He also values the time he spends at the izakaya with his friends.
Is this what it means to live carefully?

My body might be more free than his, but in terms of how to live, he is much freer than I am.