"If you've met one person with autism, you've only met one."
If you ever needed a sentence to put the word “disability” into perspective for you, that would nail it right on the head.
The term “disability” is nothing short of vast and vague. If someone in your immediate family isn’t disabled, you most likely know someone who is, or your friend’s father’s cousin talks about how their cousin is disabled.
“Oh yeah, I know someone with autism.” You hear it all the time, don’t you? It starts to sound a little bit blended together, doesn’t it?
If you Google search the definition of “differently-abled,” the immediate result is a one-word answer: disabled. Nothing more, nothing less. One simple explanation.
Back in the 1990’s, differently-abled was considered the politically correct term for individuals with a mental or physical handicap. It seems as though that word had disappeared from our vocabulary, only to resurface quite recently. As someone who lives with a sibling on the autism spectrum and experiences his daily struggles, as well as my own regarding them, let me explain to you exactly why this word holds a very special place in my heart – and why it should hold a place in yours.
By context, the prefix “dis” means “negative.” Take for example, “disrespect,” or “disregard.” Therefore, by pairing the prefix “dis” with the suffix “abled,” you can easily put two and two together and come to the conclusion that, in short, disabled means can’t.
I’m not here to sugar coat anything for you. You and I both know that, while the term is not meant to offend, it certainly has a negative air to it, simply because of the meaning of its prefix.
“Johnny can’t take the stairs - he is disabled.”
“Lindsey can’t join the theatre program due to her disability.”
Well, certainly, those would be the proper terms for it, and it’s pretty obvious here that if someone was trying to be offensive, they might use a term more derogatory than disabled. Yet, as a society, we are so used to using the words “disabled” and “disability” that all it does is subconsciously encourage us to focus on what cannot be done.
But what would happen if we changed our thinking? What would happen if we focused on the can?
Those who live with mental and physical handicaps live a lot of their lives focused on the “can’t,” and their families have no choice but to focus on it with them. Without that focus, we wouldn’t be able to actively work through the struggles, so it is undeniably a necessity.
However, by taking the term “disabled” and turning it into “differently-abled,” it gives us the chance to turn the meaning of mental and physical impairment into something much more positive: the can.
Society tells us that being different, or unique, is a good thing. It’s what makes you, well, you.
So those who are differently-abled are just that – different. But here’s the catch…aren’t we all?
Those of us living with someone differently-abled want you to know that the last thing they are is a burden to us. They teach us the value of patience, kindness, open-mindedness, humbleness, and most importantly, love.
My brother may not be able to do a lot of things in life that you or I will get the opportunity to do, but he can do outstanding things.
He can name every scary movie that ever existed, and then tell you how much he did or didn’t like it.
He can tell you where any monument or specific geographical feature in the world is.
He can do fantastic, spot-on impressions of Donald Trump, or any other celebrity you ask him to, that send our family into hysterics.
He can tell you everything you need to know about important dates in world history.
He can memorize a detailed map of the United States.
Those things are pretty damn different from anyone I’ve ever known - but in the best way possible. I can do other things, but I couldn’t do any of that if I tried.
Those who are differently-abled have their weaknesses just as we all do, but there is no doubt they have some amazing strengths.
No one person on this Earth experiences physical or mental impairment in the same way. Everyone experiences life differently, which is why it’s important to be aware that differently-abled people need to be treated as unique individuals as opposed to being limited to the stigma of their diagnosis.
Those who are differently-abled may express feelings in unique ways that are not familiar to many – but don’t think for a second they aren’t just like the rest of us.
They can love. And they can remind us to remain humble, to remain kind, and to continue to embrace uniqueness while never ceasing to remember that below the surface, we are all the same.
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” – Dr. Seuss
