I'm not a doll you can buy on QVC

 

     So, a conversation came up this weekend with a friend who is also my PCA, which made me think of a complex problem facing the disability community. The following sentence was spoken: "I don't understand why it's a problem when people protect you when you are in a wheelchair." Upon hearing this, I lost my mind. After I was done screaming incoherently in rage, I got to thinking about the statement, and I realized that the problem was not my PCA's problem; it is a societal problem.  

 

  In this writer's opinion, if you have any disability, most of society sees you as a fragile doll that needs protection. I'm here to say this: WE ARE NOT SOME FRAGILE DOLL THAT YOU CAN COLLECT AND BUY ON QVC; WE ARE PEOPLE! Some of us are motivational speakers, some of us are doctors, some of us have Master's degrees, and we are not happy being put in a box. This is very true for me personally. Recently, I had a conversation with my dad, who is going through his trials right now. The discussion centered around new opportunities that have been presented to me lately. I think about the "big picture" and think about what things will be like long term. I have trouble living in the moment, and my dad is pretty good about centering me. However, in this instance, he did what I think most people do with people with disabilities; he went into the over-protective mode. Granted, he may be overly protective because I am his son, but I see my world differently; I have the most wonderful sister who does not have a disability, and sometimes I feel like they are less protective of her. I'm not saying they do this on purpose; I'm just saying that this occurs.

 

    It is said that as a society, whether consciously or subconsciously, we have gotten to the point where we coddle an entire group of people. I know that I have written on the topic before in previous blogs; I wonder if I'm the only person with a disability that feels this way. I am not trying to rock the boat or come across as having a chip on my shoulder, as some have said. Instead, I express my true feelings about an important issue that is not getting as much attention as it needs. As my previous blogs have stated, it is not impressive if a person with a disability gets out of bed. How is it possible in the twenty-first century that we do not recognize the fight for disability equality as a civil rights issue? No matter what one's disability is, it does not define them as a person; they are still people first and need to be treated as such.         

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