Disability can be a very relative concept, and Society often bestows its
pity upon those who need and want it least. Words like
paraplegic lend themselves to broad generalisation by the
able-bodied, who uncomfortably avert their eyes or rant about the wastefulness of
handicap parking1 spaces, but it turns out that there are numerous levels of function among those who suffer from
spinal cord injuries. For instance, the dictionary
2 defines
quadriplegia as "
Complete paralysis of the body from the neck down" (as opposed to quarterplegia, the inverse, which I define as complete paralysis from the neck
up), but did you know that there are people classified as quadriplegics who can walk? There are, and it's all down to the
vagaries of medical terminology.
The point here is that people with disabilities, like everyone else, are
individuals. Some, of course, welcome the pity they receive; but many more want a chance to lead a
normal life and to be accepted for what they
can do.
I might not have come to realise all this, except I fell in love with a very bright, positive, energetic woman who only happens to be confined to a wheelchair.
3 What she goes through just to get in and out of the supermarket is a real eye-opener, but I think she pretty well sums things up when she says, "I'm not disabled; I'm
inconvenienced."
1I've actually heard people say, "Well if they can't function in society, they should just stay home. Why should I walk all the way across the parking lot just so some
gimp can be close to the front door?" Um... because you
can? Duh.
2The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
3My biggest worry is how on earth I'm ever going to keep up with her.