I was born with a rare bone disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (http://www.oif.org.com) which lead to me having many broken bones over my life... I recently talking with my mother when I was a baby/toddler I had many n many breaks n multiple breaks at the same times... When I was a small kid to my pre-teen yeas While growing up I had much pain from the breaks... I had fewer breaks but still a break once or twice a year and when I entered High School I started using a wheelchair more to guard myself from tripping/falling in school... I had many broken fingers in High School from my finger getting got in the spokes of my wheelchair's wheels... I fixed those broken fingers myself by pulling finger to correct it then used a plastic knife and tape to make a split saving me time waiting at a hospital ER to be seen/x-ray/etc... and saving money of the cost of going to a hospital too... :-D
But to my main point...
Growing up disabled I noticed a lot of people treated me as not an equal... Many times at restaurants the waitress would talk over me and ask the people with me what would he like to have, I would speak up and say "Hey I'm right here!!! Ask Me!!! not them..." they would act so surprised...
Also accessibility wasn't like it is today... Curb cuts/ramps, Ramps period were no where to be found except for loading docks... Buses didn't have ANY type of equal access at all,... No automatic doors... All Buildings/Apartments/Houses had steps that had to have my wheelchair pulled up-n-over or me taken out of while I crawled up the stairs and some one had to carry my wheelchair up the stairs for me then I then got back into chair then again going back down... Handicapped/Disabled access was not there when I was younger!!! Heck when I was little the term for people like me was 'CRIPPLE' and changed to 'Handicapped' and than to 'Disabled' and again to 'Physically Challenged'... I hate the word 'Cripple' I did hear (rarely) it as a kid but I mainly heard the term 'Handicapped' as a kid... Te term 'Handicapped' was ok to me and then the term 'Disabled' was acceptable to me... The newer terms are what ever to me... The only term I get outraged at is 'Crippled'
Now a days access is not as much of an issue(wish there were more sidewalks and with curbs cuts/ramps) buildings have auto-doors, ramps, etc... but that wasn't always there...
Yes being disabled now-a-days is easier and not as much of an issue as it was... Being disable is not something to be looked up to, how a disabled person deals with their disability is what to be proud of(well if they turn their neg to a positive)... If I had a choice of being or not-being disabled, I'd Pick to NOT being Disabled!!! Yes I have had Many Many positives, good experiences being disabled but would trade it for never being disabled in a flash...
Disabled people I think turn on blinders now-a-days to things that they can't do/enjoy that others can... or they try to find a work around... (ex: ramps, lifts, being lifted into/onto things, etc...)
I would have love to been able to enjoy a Jungle Gym, a friends Tree House(not an adapted one with ramps/lifts) but being able to climb up the tree and hang from a branch, go swimming at a swimming hole in the woods with friends and dive into the water...
Basically I would have loved being able to do the same thing as others did with-out the need of adaptive equipment or assistance!!! It is Great people invented adaptive equipment (I'm So Thankful They Did Thanks You All that did that!!!) and I'm so Thanks to those that have/are assisting me n others(They Are Blessed for doing So!!) But I wish there was no need adaptive equipment... I wish(a pipe dream) there was a cure for ALL disabilities like maybe downloading brains into a new body :-D
Oh Well, I guess I want people to remember it wasn't(still is great) like it is now... Being disabled just 40/30 years ago was hard... and Hey pre-60's I researched a lot of disabled where put into institutions and were mistreated and died in misery... So A Lot has Changed thankfully and will hopefully get even better in time but again Being Disabled is Not something to look up to but, is something to build on and improve on...
Submitted Giovano Fusco Jr. 1-31-2012
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