It's not the disability but the response that matters

"Disability isn't primarily about the physical, mental or intellectual impairments that are associated with it, but about society's response to them"
from Stuff Pity

Some people may not be aware that there is an area of studies offered in colleges called Disability Studies. There are an increasingly large number of blogs to read written by people in this field and I highly recommend Planet of the Blind and DisStudies at Temple U, which are in my blogroll.

I am an advocate. I've helped people with disabilities and their families for years who face discrimination and barriers that simply don't exist for others. From parents struggling with IEP programs for their children to blind people who are denied access to places because of their guide dog - on and on and on, I've pretty much seen it all over the years.

Yet I can only speak of my own experiences. This is, in my opinion, limited compared to someone who has been disabled all of their lives. Out of respect to my friends with disabilities, both the ones I now have and someday will have, I acknowledge this reality.

Yet I feel compelled to speak out in general here and state that in my experience after meeting and knowing many people with disabilities, it is not the disability that matters as much as the response to it. I do not inherently find my disability by itself a problem or an issue, but I do find the barriers that exist "out there" in society a problem. I find the attitudes "out there" to be a problem. And I find exclusion to be a problem.

I can assess my physical needs and get equipment I need to address those. But I can't change an employer's attitude about hiring a person with a disability. And, although the American with Disabilities Act has helped to a point, legislation is not the entire answer. It leaves gaps, not just because it may be written incorrectly, but because laws only go so far to change behavior.

And the laws only address certain situations. The rest of it often relies on peoples' attitudes, beliefs and experiences. Many people are open to hearing what those of us in the disability community have to say. Even though they haven't experienced living with a disability, they listen to us and read what we write . I know this because of the number of emails I receive from able bodied people each week.

And so, with communication, change happens. When we speak up, we not only let people know about our life experiences, but we demonstrate a basic trust and respect in and for others- that their response matters and , together, we can achieve inclusion.