Re-charting the Course: Turning Points, December 2000

The Forgotten People

By Brian Carr, Grade 12, Arlington, Virginia.

As a person with a disability, I face constant challenges. Although my problems concern only my physical capabilities, their consequences are far broader. Ignorance represents a pervasive part of my struggle, affecting nearly every aspect of my life. If I am to attain my potential, these misconceptions must be abolished, because they present the single greatest impediment to my success. Yet my comments are relevant not simply to my situation, but to all people with such conditions; for the Constitution s promise of equity and equality cannot be realized if the disabled population is not completely integrated into all areas of society. This objective can only be achieved through education.

The concept of being "disabled" is convoluted and confusing. Indeed, it is a term applied to a multitude of deficits, each representing variations of cognitive, psychological, or physical deficiencies. It is therefore daunting, and perhaps slightly intimidating, for most people to identify the characteristics of a handicap that does not concern them. The true nature of the disability is inevitably lost, eventually becoming inextricably linked to the popular stereotypes of a misinformed population. As one who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, let me assure you that I am neither a blithering idiot nor a helpless cripple. My only major impairment is my inability to walk, which has not prevented me from pursuing a relatively normal life. To this end, I strive to normalize relations with others, although my attempts have been only moderately successful.

As I write these words, it occurs to me that my peers have never asked about my disability. Perhaps I am overly critical; I would certainly be flattered if they perceived me as their equal. But their silence is reflective of the utter lack of understanding that manifests itself among professionals who study cases such as mine. I still wince at the memory of an orthopedist using epithets to characterize the effective treatment I had received in Hungary. More recently, I have been angered by the Social Security Administration's constant crusade to relinquish my meager disability payments, which constitute the whole of my income. If they succeed, it will become more difficult for me to pay impending college expenses. Yet my college search has also been frustrating, since schools have not been forthcoming with accommodation information. Each example illustrates the attitude of indifference, ignorance, and hostility that currently prevails in our society.

If our nation is to achieve its potential, it must not perceive its less fortunate citizens as invalids who have no part in prosperity. Thus, it is imperative that the population be educated on all levels. Americans must better understand the meaning of "disability," and must work toward helping the disabled develop their capabilities as members of a common society. Americans cannot be content to ignore the needs of the handicapped, nor can they allow them to remain on the fringes of the population. The disabled must ultimately be enabled to control their own affairs.

These conventions must serve as the guiding principles of a new philosophy, for then-only then-can equality be ensured.

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