Some of you reading this blog may feel sorry for me. If you do, please refrain from feeling this way. I am writing this blog to educate you and educate others who have cerebral palsy. I want to help and encourage parents with disabled children. Giving inside information about what it is like to be disabled will help them raise and care for their children to hopefully see that they can achieve their dreams with a little encouragement and help. There will be barriers thrown in the way. I know this because I have smashed through a few complex situations, but no barrier is unmovable, trust me. Times are changing fast, with continuous cases being pushed forward for a more diverse World. I believe that the future is good.
Back to the subject of this blog, Pity; In my experience, most disabled adults certainly do not go about looking for pity. I was born with a brain injury, not a life-threatening disease, I may need a little help with a few everyday chores now and then, as I posted about in a previous post, but I am an independent person. I am not asking for your pity.
I get comments from people such as ‘Oh, love you, I am so sorry that you are like you are.’ These comments make me feel I have less of a right to be living the way I am or be in care, and they make me feel a little inferior to the rest of society. However, I still take them on the chin when I get them because my parents have always taught me to respect others, and I will continue to do so to a certain degree, treat me with respect, and I will repay you with respect back.
When trying not to make disabled people feel pitied, my advice is to have a normal conversation. Those with disabilities are not looking for sympathy and don't need anyone's pity. My advice would be to approach them in the same way you would anyone else. Ask them how their day is going? Take the disability and disparaging references out of every conversation, treat people as equal, then inclusion will become more normalised within society.
