Disabilities - Sum Blog #2

 

            In class last week we discussed the topic of disabilities. The idea that stuck out the most to me was the statement saying “a different sort of normal.” I agree with that statement and found it to be very interesting. I have never thought of disabilities in that way. I have always thought (probably due to the social norms) that individuals who are disabled are different from me. There are some cases of disabilities that may be more severe and those individuals who have a more severe form of disability may need to be cared for. I say this because I have an aunt who is thirty-seven years old and is completely disabled. She lives in a home in which providers are caring for her twenty-four hours a day. Obviously, this is a situation in which she is different from me.

There are other individuals who have less severe disabilities. For example, an individual with a disability may look or sound different but in reality no two people are alike. Just because an individual may look or sound different doesn’t mean they have a different lifestyle. However, just because they may have that small difference doesn’t mean the individuals with a disability aren’t normal.

The short video clip below informs the public of individuals with Down’s Syndrome who share experiences that any person could relate to.

 

http://youtu.be/-cA3t1HW1Ow

 

            As you can see, the individuals in this video clip talked about everyday lifestyle choices that they enjoy and look forward to just as non-disabled individuals would. Just because of their speech pattern some individuals may think that individuals with Down’s Syndrome aren’t able to live on their own or perform everyday tasks. Those individuals enjoy some of the same hobbies that non-disabled individuals would. In the clip you see that one of the ladies is enrolled in college and has dreams to be successful just like anyone else.