(via formspring.me)
Is there anything you wish everyone knew about disability or something you'd like to see in the school curriculum? [This probably sounds like a stupid question, but I think a lot of people are just ignorant, rather than disablist]
That's a pretty tough one to answer. It's pretty much impossible to come up with stuff that everyone should know about disability because there's such a wide range of disabilities. And also such a variation with the same type of disability between person to person. Even us crips don't know everything about disability as a whole - we know about our condition and how it affects us personally. And we know bits about others. For example I have a friend who also has CP. Before she's said things to me like "we can't do this. we've both got CP." and I've had to turn round and go "well, actually..."
I suppose probably the main thing would be that disabled people are just people who want to be treated with respect like everyone else. We're not special or brave or inspiring, just people. And no, we aren't "normal" but there isn't such thing.
Changing the subject slightly, I disagree with your comment that people are just ignorant rather than disabiilst. That might be the case however in this day and age there is absolutely no excuse for it. After all, if someone said something racist or homophobic they would be expected to know what they said was wrong - ignorance wouldn't be an acceptable excuse. Why should it be so for disabilism?
I suppose probably the main thing would be that disabled people are just people who want to be treated with respect like everyone else. We're not special or brave or inspiring, just people. And no, we aren't "normal" but there isn't such thing.
Changing the subject slightly, I disagree with your comment that people are just ignorant rather than disabiilst. That might be the case however in this day and age there is absolutely no excuse for it. After all, if someone said something racist or homophobic they would be expected to know what they said was wrong - ignorance wouldn't be an acceptable excuse. Why should it be so for disabilism?
5 comments:
I'd say using "gay" as an insult is just as prevalent if not more so than "retard" but the difference is the latter is not used in it's original sense - I certainly never knew the term's origin before reaching my mid-20s. As for racism, take a look at the Express or the Daily Mail!
**obviously neither is "gay" used in its original sense anymore either, but am sure you got what I meant..
I've often thought children should learn basic sign (makaton or BSL) from nursery up. One a week would do. And picture signs as well as written ones, in 'normal' schools, would help loads of ordinary kids to integrate better. Perhaps people with a variety of disabilities should be invited in to school in early years classes to help out occasionally. Like with reading or whatever, not as any kind of big deal. Ordinary stuff. A kind of acclimatisation or summit.
Thanks for sharing this Emma, I found it interesting to read.
Moll x x
I agree sign lang would be fantastic. I just think exposing kids to more people w/disabilities is the key. And they will watch and learn from how the able-bodied adults act. Kids keep it real.
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