Promote Disability Awareness – International Day of Acceptance

posted on Jan 20 by Admin in the Advocacy, Disability News, Opinion and Discussion, Wheelchair Accessibility category

Spreading disability awareness has been an ongoing journey to help able-bodied people be aware, understand, and relate with people whom have disabilities. In many situations, able-bodied people almost feel uncomfortable approaching a person with disabilities fearing that person may feel like they are staring or judging them. People with differences need to be taught how to communicate and understand one another more sufficiently.

Naturally people intend to avoid those whom have dissimilarities, based on not knowing how to act or trying to steer clear of hurting someone’s feelings. This can be stressful on both parties knowing no one wants to be treated differently, no matter what their condition might be. Especially when it comes to younger people, many thoughts can scramble through their heads; What if he can’t shake my hand and I hurt his feelings by attempting; What if I say something offensive and don’t realize it? In most cases, people would rather leave you be than make you feel uncomfortable or themselves. We all need to be understanding of each person’s situation and find a way to meet in the middle by relating with one another on levels we both can understand and appreciate.

Many believe a good start is by targeting youth education and teaching them how to communicate appropriately. Sometimes people assume that compassion is embedded in us at a young age, but some need to be taught. Students need to learn how to walk in another person’s shoes and have a better understanding of people’s differences.

Isabelle St. Onge is a special education teacher at Taos High School in Taos, N.M. and says, “Over the years of working with inclusion on a high school level, I’ve really seen changes that happen to the general education population when they get to meet students with severe and profound disabilities, and learn lessons of compassion and tolerance. They’re better people when they go out into the world after graduating, and they’ve already learned to accept someone as different as my students.” Helping younger people understand the difficulties of everyday challenges by imagining themselves as a person with disabilities allows them to  have a greater understanding and an astounding amount of respect for those with disabilities.

Single mom, Kimberly Carnevale, has multiple disabilities and uses a service dog to assist her in every day life. She says her daughter once told a passerby who attempted to pet the service dog, “You can’t pet Dawson; he’s working.” Her daughter was three at the time.

You may be surprised at how willing and actually eager grown and young people are to learn about people who have disabilities. Children are the future by integrating these kinds of thought patterns, and it helps ensure a more sensitive understanding that all people are equal despite their differences. Let them know that no matter the difference in size, shape, color, abilities; inside we are all very much the same. We should all make a greater effort to include everyone in everyday activities and society.

According to Congressional Committee findings for ADA, 54 million are disabled. Based on these figures, almost 1 out of 5 persons have disabilities. Other sources show even higher statistics. Out of 45 million, 15 million of them are seniors. There are hundreds of different kinds of disabilities, most of them come later in life. Fewer than 15% were born with their disability. There are over 1 million wheelchair users, 1 out of 250. Over 10,000 people every year injure their spinal cord resulting in severe long term injuries, 82% of these spinal injuries are male, 307,000 under age 44 use wheelchairs. (US Dept of Health)

With that said, most people with disabilities do not want anyone to feel sorry for them or have pity towards them.  They simply want understanding of their situation and awareness of how it affects their everyday lives. They want to be treated like any other, though they might require a bit of assistance, they are just like the rest of whom do not have disabilities.

Help spread awareness.

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