How many of you with some kind of impairment or challenge have felt left behind because you were not accepted? How many of you wanted to be given a chance to show your talents and abilities to the world around you? And, how many of you wanted to move forward with a positive attitude, but were held back because it was inconvenient for someone else?
What a shame it is that a country so vast, so smart, and so sophisticated turns its back on the talents and needs of the most under-developed population. Not so much the visually, or hearing impaired; but individuals with Cerebral Palsy and other mobility or speech impairments which are either left to solve there own problems, or are locked away in group homes, or forced to be monitored by an army of social workers who want total control of there being. Moreover, we are told time and again that we are incapable and cannot work. We are told to our faces that it’s better for everyone if we just stay at home, aren’t seen, and collect a social security check for the rest of our lives.
How sad is that? How sad is it that a group of people or a government of people will not accept us as human beings. How sad is it that we are put here on this earth, but have to struggle all our lives!
What is wrong with the picture? And, what is wrong with the world? And why do “we” have to suffer? Why?
I can’t live with this injustice, discrimination, and humiliation any more! Why, you might be asking yourself? Because this happened to me. So I’m the first to balk. I’ll be the first to admit the truth. And I’ll be the first to share it honestly and openly with the world so that good change can come from it.
Has this happened to you?
These “experts” have only one set of options. And these options don’t usually include making our lives better. What’s more, is that these options limit rather than increase our control over our own lives. It segregates us from society, and denies us our birth right and equal status as individuals and Americans. We were put on this earth to have the opportunity to develop and make use of whatever talents and brains that God gave us. Just because we were paralyzed does not mean we don’t have sense about us to think, act, or perform a given task, or duty we would love to do. Why shouldn’t we then, be treated or given the same opportunities? Are we so ugly to look at, we have to be locked away in a closet?
Time after time, we do as we are told like good little children, although we get nowhere fast. Once again, we are not taken seriously, and we are disrespected and discounted. This must end! And so must these despicable attitudes from people who make up a world who don’t want anything to do with us or change.
My wife is a polio survivor and recently has had back surgery so that her walking is limited and she uses a scooter. It works fine except when there are no cuts in the curb, construction or double parked cars make the cuts unusable, and people are oblivious or on their cell phones and walk into the scooter. I know what you mean, but what can we do about it. Our writing here is preaching to the choir. How do we get the people who can change things to listen?
Hi Bob,
I think through commuication. I think the only way we will break down these berriers is by talking about it over and over and over again. We must bring these issues to the fore-front and we must make people aware of these discriminations. We must have pannels, coferences, and educate everyone with the facts by having a selected few, speak about there personal experiences all over the world.
I think what you have to say here is good, Karen. I think that you don’t realize that some blind and deaf individuals do have these same problems. It’s better than it used to be, but the fight still goes on. Keep on trekkin’.
Ann P.
Karen I certainly can agree with you. Being Disabled myself, it’s very sad that ‘discrimination’ still exhits among many people, inculding those whom you love.. My advice too everyone, is do what’s in your best interests, and don’t allow anyone to make you feel like you did something wrong. Life is full of challenges, most importantly, we must take a stand and do what’s right..and just…
Michelle