Good morning and welcome to Disabilities 101! Disabilities 101 will teach you important things to remember when interacting with people who have disabilities. Let's get started. Imagine you are in the mall at your favorite store, and you see a teenage girl in a wheelchair. What do you notice about her first? Is it her smile? Her independence? The bright colors, stickers, or rhinestones that make her wheelchair unique? Or do you notice her thin legs, her paralyzed feet, and other qualities that make her "different" first? If you notice the negative things first, there is no need to feel guilty. This reaction is very common, but it certainly isn't ideal. People often focus on the negative aspects of a disability out of intimidation, lack of knowledge, or insensitivity. Here are some things to think about when interacting with people who have disabilities.
Lesson One: I Am NOT Disabled. How can I make such a bold claim when I clearly walked into this room with crutches supporting me and leg braces keeping my legs straight? It's actually very simple. I am not disabled; I have a disability. There is a distinct difference between these statements. Calling someone disabled makes them sound as if they are broken down, decrepit, and useless. It says that all that matters about them is that they are disabled. Nothing else about them is important; not their talents, not their personality, nothing. On the other hand, saying that someone "has a disability" acknowledges their humanity first, and their disability second. It says that we can see past a person's disability and see whatever makes that person unique. There is so much more to me than just a pair of crutches and leg braces. I'm a Catholic, I'm an artist, I'm a musician, I'm a writer, I'm a student, I'm a social justice advocate, I'm a daughter, a grand-daughter, a cousin, a sister, a friend and most importantly, I'm a person. I'm a person with a disability, who also has many strengths, talents, and abilities. If people spent five minutes looking past my disability and getting to know me, they would know that.
Lesson Two: A disability is not a death sentence. It is very common for people to believe that having a good life with a disability is impossible. My mother's doctor even told her to consider aborting me! He predicted I would never walk or talk and would be a "vegetable." Luckily, she refused to abort me, but unfortunately, more than 80% of babies with disabilities or deformities are aborted. This makes me sick. It is absolutely insane to believe that people with disabilities cannot live a full life. When I was a little girl, I dressed up like a princess for Halloween, rode "It's a Small World" at Disney world a thousand times, collected Barbies, and made up silly songs and sang at the top of my lungs. When I was tired of being girly, I behaved like a typical tomboy. I played alongside my guy friends at the playground or in my backyard, and I practically lived in my swimming pool during the summer. Contrary to what my doctor believed, my disability never held me back. I was fearless, like any child should be.
As I grew up, I discovered that there was more to life than playgrounds and make-believe. I discovered a love of art, psychology, music, writing and social justice, all of which will allow me to become a successful art therapist one day. I have always been in mainstream schools, and I have always performed at or above the level of my peers. High school has been amazing. I met several girls with disabilities, who have become my closest friends and some of my role models. I was on the Homecoming Court in eighth grade. I had the second highest GPA freshman year and I survived brain surgery. I had three pieces of artwork displayed in my school's art show sophomore year, I discovered the career that was right for me, and I was able to help a student from Cuba who spoke little English. The summer before junior year, I attended my first sleep-away camp, where I played wheelchair sports, rode a zip line, and walked on a balance beam for the first time. I also attended a leadership conference in Washington D.C, where I discovered my passion for social justice. Junior year, I addressed the entire student body at a Pro-life assembly, refined my athletic abilities and began formulating plans for a social justice blog. This year, my plans for a social justice blog have become a reality. I also have learned how to stand for several minutes without my crutches.
See? My disability doesn't hold me back much at all, does it? People make such a big deal out of it, and most of the time, it really isn't that serious. Sure, I have to deal with challenges, but so does everyone else, with or without a disability. All in all, I have been able to achieve plenty despite my disability. Many other people have, too! Think of Helen Keller. She was blind and deaf, but became a famous speaker and writer. And then there's former President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He had polio, yet he ran the country! Recently, a new role model for people with disabilities has emerged. Her name is Christina "C-bunny" Sarni. She is an incredibly gifted dancer! She also has a hearing impairment. C-bunny once said, " I might not hear all the beats, and all the words, and all the sounds in the music, but I hear it through my heart." Disabilities never have to hold people back, and C-bunny is living proof of that. I hope that I can inspire people as much as she has.
Let's move on to Lesson Three: It's Time for a Reality Check. Now that we have discussed the positive aspects of living with a disability, I think it's time to discuss some of the negatives that I hinted at earlier. My life is wonderful, but just like anyone else, my life isn't perfect. There will always be challenges that I will have to face. I was bullied a lot in grammar school and especially middle school. People would call me mean names, physically abuse me, and steal from me. As much I hated it back then, in a very small way, I'm grateful for it now.
You see, being bullied forced me to come to the realization that I could either spend my whole life worrying what people thought of me, and trying to change in order to please them, or I could stop caring what other people thought. I chose the latter. I will never change who I am, or go against my morals, just to please another person. Above all, being bullied gave me the courage to stand up for myself, as well as anyone else being bullied. If I find out that anyone I know is being bullied, I will find a way to help them.
Another negative aspect of my disability is the health problems associated with it. I was born with a condition called hydrocephalus, which is just a fancy way of saying that I was born with fluid build-up around my brain. This condition is managed by a device called a shunt, which drains away the fluid. Sometimes, shunts break. I've had brain surgery four different times to fix my shunt, most recently freshman year, but you know what? I'm okay with that. It was scary and all, but it really didn't slow me down too much.
Hip dislocation is also a problem for me. When I was a baby, my hips never developed properly, so they would easily dislocate. Because I have limited sensation in my legs, it really didn't hurt at all when I was younger. I got used to the idea that if I sat or stood certain ways, I would hear a quiet popping sound and feel my hip move. No big deal. It was just a fact of life and it didn't bother me at all. As I got older, hip dislocations started to hurt. A lot. It can be annoying to deal with, but the worst part of it is not the dislocation itself. I can handle physical pain. The worst part of hip dislocation is being confined to a wheelchair when I'm in too much pain to walk. I've never really had the patience for wheelchairs, and I admire the people who use them every day without complaining. Despite these challenges, I love my life exactly as it is, brain surgeries and all. People with disabilities will always have to face challenges, but we are strong enough to overcome them!
It's time for Lesson Four, arguably one of the most important lessons I will teach you today. NO ONE can or should limit what I am capable of, or what other people with disabilities are capable of. Those who try to limit us are going to fail miserably. We're still going to keep working hard and succeeding. Personally, I don't care how many times someone tells me "You can't do this," "You will never do that, " or "You aren't strong enough to do this." I can do whatever I set my mind to, and believe me, I will. Watch me. I am stronger and more stubborn then people realize.
To conclude Disability 101 today, lets review the lessons we learned. Lesson One: I am NOT disabled. I have a disability. I am not broken down or decrepit; I am happy and strong despite my challenges. Lesson Two: A disability is not a death sentence. My life is fun, and I enjoy every minute of it. Lesson Three: Reality Check. I have faced many challenges, and I am perfectly aware that there will be more to come. I am okay with that. I know that I can do anything with love and support from God, my family, my friends, and my teachers. Lesson Four: No one can or should limit what I am capable of. I defy anyone who tries to bully me, limit me, or otherwise upset me. It's a waste of their time and mine. They will fail. Thank you very much for giving me your time. God bless.
