Dear Reader, I have something on my mind, I feel I need to get straight.
Those of you who know me will be aware, but many of you are not; I am not, myself, a physically disabled person. On official forms, to the question ‘do you consider yourself disabled?’ I have to check the ‘No’ box. If you have read earlier posts, (massive thanks to you, for a start!), you will already be aware of my premise that everyone has something that disables them, so the fact that I must tick that ‘No’ box seems to be a little hypocritical.
This whole thing implies that in order to appropriately wear the ‘disability’ label, your problem must be obvious to the outside world, and indeed, this whole misconception has spawned an industry of slogan tee-shirts and bumper stickers proclaiming that disability is even less obvious in some cases than bigoted stupidity. Of course, even obvious disability is not accepted. A recent cinema trip with a wheelchair user had both of us feeling the stares when the new ‘End the Awkward’ Scope ad was screened. Sitting near the front of the auditorium and the only chair-user in the house meant that the eyes of the whole of the rest of the entire audience homed in on us. We almost turned to take a bow!
So, is this a) lack of tolerance, b) lack of awareness, c) pity, d) envy, or e) stupidity? Answers on a postcard, as the TV used to request.
I have a childless acquaintance who expresses annoyance on a regular basis, that employers give provision to new parents for additional leave, and are more flexible with mothers on the payroll. Their gripe is that their own life choices are penalising them and that these additional ‘perks should be available to all. Is this also the reason that drivers without blue parking permits still take up the disabled designated parking spaces? Are there really people who envy such things and consider these little assistances to be unfair perks? Do ‘able-bodied’ become annoyed that they are not congratulated on life in general? If you see a person in a wheelchair going about their ordinary daily business, shopping, walking the dog, do you admire the achievement? Does the fact that they are assisted in their life mean that mundane tasks should be celebrated? I’m sure if you asked that person they would have a less than favourable response! And, if you tried to congratulate a ‘normal’ person on their day to day living, how would that conversation go?
Anything you do in your day to day life should be cause for minor celebration, and we ought to be equally celebratory whether our fellow man is walking down the stairs, or taking the stairlift. Watch the latest teen sensation movie, the film adaptation of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, and see if you still disagree with celebrating each and every day… (word of warning… tissues should be issued with the popcorn!)
That’s what’s on my mind… If you would find it patronising to be congratulated on living another day, why is it ok to congratulate a disabled person for attempting to live a ‘normal’ life? I vote for equal opportunities congratulations. Last week, Lesley Ash was a contestant on Celebrity Masterchef. She is now more famous for botched facial cosmetic surgery and her use of a walking stick, following hospitalisation after injury caused by ‘energetic love-making’, than anything she has been involved with in her acting career. Nowhere in the Masterchef programmes was the use of a walking aid mentioned; Lesley was screened using it, but not as a big deal. Earlier this year, Richard Whitehead MBE, took part in the ITV programme. Splash, with Tom Daley. Competitive diving is not a Paralympic sport, but this didn’t stop a man with two prosthetic legs, and the fact that this is the case was not something Richard dwelt on during the programme. Skills win out, and shouldn’t that always be the case? We only get one shot at being the person you are today, and we should all definitely celebrate that.
cumbria wheelchair sports 