Disabled in a Non - Disabled World!

(ed - Nicole will be 22 years old next month and lives with her family in Sidney. She volunteers at a local marine exploration centre and has been attending The Place at Lambrick Park Church for nearly 2 years. Nicole was diagnosed with spina bifida from birth....)

There are a lot of disabled people in the world today. Some people have Spina Bifida or other disabilities; some have to use a wheelchair for the rest of their lives; others have a learning disability or developmental disability. Although these people have differences, they are all human. Some able - bodied people seem to not understand that persons with disabilities are people just like them. We all have differences, but at the same time we are all human.

Some able -bodied people believe that if someone is in a wheelchair they can not live a "normal" life like everyone else. What they don't realize is that people in wheelchairs can live a "normal" life as everyone else does. People with disabilities go to school, get married, work, have families, do laundry, shop for groceries, laugh, cry, pay taxes, get angry, have prejudices, vote, use public transportation, plan and dream, go to church like everyone else. Having a disability does not mean we have to always be around other people with disabilities. Some of us are very comfortable being surrounded by and involved in mainstream society.

Having a disability does not mean we are brave and courageous, or even inspirational, as adjusting to a disability is a lifestyle. Most of the people today that have a disability were born with it. Some people with disabilities will wonder "why me?", as if they have been cursed. What they may not realize is that living with a disability will have ups and downs. This is true for any person’s life! Living with a disability also gives the individual a different perspective on life. Things some people may take for granted, a person with a disability may have to work around to adapt to their own personal needs (same with people with illnesses, diseases, etc).

People with disabilities have encountered a lot of different challenges. Every day we have to deal with people staring at them, whispering behind their back, and hearing untrue things said about people with disabilities. Frankly, I am getting sick and tired of the same assumptions being made about me or others with disabilities. One example is assuming that we need help...Do not assume; first ask! If accepted, then proceed to help.

Today, it is not only children that say things without thinking about how it may affect someone's feelings, especially if that person is in a wheelchair or has another type of disability. "In my personal experience adults have often said things that have been hurtful or prejudicial, for example when I was in high school I was surprised by how many people said so many untrue things about me and my disability. If you do not understand something about a person with a disability simply ask that person a question! Do not assume anything as your assumption, may not be true! I am not saying that it is everyone that does this, but there are some people that do treat people with disabilities this way.

All I am asking is for people to open their minds and accept peoples’ differences. Whether a person has a developmental disability, physical disability or any other type of disability, we still can live our lives as anyone else can. So, the next time you see someone with a disability on the streets, in a store or in a classroom, even at church, Talk to them, ask them questions, and include them in everyday activities....they may surprise you!

Nicole

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