5/24
“We, the one's who are challenged, need to be heard. To be seen not as a disability, but as a person who has, and will continue to bloom. To be seen not only as a handicap, but as a well intact human being.” -Robert M. Hensel, an international poet-writer. The minds of people with disabilities are commonly underestimated. Those with autism or down syndrome have feelings just like we do; the only difference is; they express them in other ways. Many people mistreat those with disabilities by wrongly judging, bullying, and unjustly criticizing them. All people deserve a chance at having a joyful and successful life, including those with disabilities.
The multiple types
of disabilities range from mental, to physical, to intellectual difficulties.
For some people, their disability is very prominent because they have an
irregular outward appearance. Yet, others have internal limitations that aren’t
as noticeable. Those who suffer from these disabilities have no control over
how they developed them or how they act. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
website, babies may develop these limitations
because of their mother drinking or smoking while they were still in her womb,
genes inherited from the child’s parents, or problems with their DNA. These
causes may result in learning struggles, being abstained from participating in
certain athletic programs, and interacting with other people later in life. An
example is a girl named Cora, who has disabilities and goes to my school.
Instead of attending the classes that I do, she goes to separate classrooms
where the instructors have different teaching strategies. She also has the
opportunity to experience different activities throughout the day such as:
drawing, painting, jumping on a trampoline, and more. Because of this, Cora
doesn’t get to participate in many enjoyable activities or make new friends
like I do. Another way that some people are affected by disabilities is through
sickness, pain, and short lives. Sometimes children and adults cannot go to
school or work because they have to spend time in a hospital recovering. Others
may not even live long enough to have the opportunity to get a job or receive
an education. Even though there are many differences between all imperfections,
they all have one thing in common: each one can
cause tragedies that not only affect the person, but their family and all who
have the opportunity to hear their story. It is a true hardship to have a
disability, and its effect can be more harmful than we imagine.
While the results
of disabilities are stressful as they are, many people bully and mistreat those
who suffer from them, which makes their pain feel so much worse. Many times
people with obvious disabilities are quickly dismissed based upon their
disability. However, eventually even non visible disabilities are made fun of.
Bullies like to have the satisfaction of beating a kid up and hurting their
feelings. What better victim is there than one with disabilities? Many of them
either don’t understand the criticism or they aren’t strong enough to fight
back and stand up for themselves. Even in the adult world, many business owners
don’t give them a chance at getting a job, receiving good education, and living
a life just like ours. Just because they act different from us, doesn’t mean
they don’t have feelings and thoughts and opinions like us. If we were in their
shoes, how would we feel? We’d probably feel left out, angry, confused, and
very lost. It’s so hard to live a life like theirs and not break down crying every
day; thinking that no one is ever going to accept us and treat us like humans
instead of aliens. The book, “The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The
Night-Time”, by Mark Haddon, is written in the point of view of a young man who
has disabilities. His neighbor’s dog is killed and he sets out to discover who
killed it. Yet, whenever he asked other people if they had seen anything
suspicious, they’d either ignore him or tell him to stop playing his silly
little game. If he had been a policeman knocking at their door or another more
responsible teenager, I’m sure the homeowners would have had a different
reaction. You see, the only thing that we gain by mistreating those who have
disabilities is regret; regret that we made their lives even worse than it already
is.
More than anything,
people with disabilities deserve not discrimination, but respect. Currently,
our country has a program called The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
which ensures that all American citizens with disabilities receive the respect
that they deserve. This act also establishes that people may not restrict those
with disabilities when it comes to employment, State and local government,
public accommodations, education, transportation, and telecommunications.
Obviously, the ADA program plays a huge role in supporting disabled peoples’
lives. Even though we may not be able to impact the lives of millions of
disabled people like the ADA does, each of us can still make a big difference;
even if it’s just for one person. When I discussed this aspect with my family,
my mother brought up an example of a teenage girl who had asked a disabled boy
to prom. Earlier
in the school year, the young woman had volunteered to work with him to improve
his success in school. Turns out, they had become excellent comrades! Knowing
that he’d probably never get asked, she invited him to go to prom with her. By
doing so, she not only made his dreams come true, she also felt like a better
person. If we would have the guts to support those with disabilities like she
did, even when others make fun of us for doing so: we can make an impact so
immense, it can change the world.
Above all, people with disabilities deserve a chance at having a cheerful and rewarding life. Their limitations can actually be an inspiration to us: in their eyes the world is a happier place, they live life to the fullest, and they have a good attitude about being different from everyone else. If we can accept these people and their disabilities by demonstrating respect and gratitude towards them, we can make their lives worth living, one step at a time.
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