Sometimes I think it’s a dog and pony show. Sometimes I think in order to fit in I have to prove myself. But I’ve come to realize the stereotypical thought about people with disabilities is that they can’t do it. So those that go by that stereotype need proof to the contrary.
As those who have read about me before, I have a physical disability, although I do not use a wheelchair. My roommate also has a disability and he uses a wheelchair. After a little bit of time we’ve been able to create a routine for folding up the wheelchair and getting it in the car. The back comes off, then the pad comes off, then you pull up in the center and open the back door of the car and slide the wheelchair in and lean it against the pasenger seat. It sounds simple enough, but it is a little bit of work.
A good friend of ours picked up my roommate one day and had to do all that. Recently we were leaving church and he came out by us and said, “I have a newfound appreciation for you guys”.
The best thing that anyone with a disability can do is simply, just do. Don’t hide away, go and do what you want. The more we are out amoungst the public, the greater opportunity to break the stereotypes. No one questions someone that doesn’t look like they have a disability. When we do what we do, others will see the differences as just parts of the process.
Those of you without disabilities, would you like proof? Well, then all you need to do is hang out with us. Go to church with us. Employ us. Challenge us in a game of Monopoly. You’ll soon realize we aren’t that different from you, just unique.
