In my social media feed this week, I saw more than one posting related to the idea that what we tell ourselves about life is manifested. I believe it’s true. There are catchy phrases like “you have to name it to claim it”, but it’s really about having what the disability community refers to as a rights-bearing attitude.
Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act, there is really no place where people with differences legally cannot go in America. However, it is true that going to a new place when it’s obvious you look or act differently is nerve-wracking.
We must enter and behave as though we belong there, and participate as if it is our right. It is! If you are not comfortable, fake it. Expect accommodations to be present if they were requested in advance (yes, we still have the extra step). But, darn it, when we don’t show up, all the regular attendees are reinforced in believing that we don’t care. Worse still, people forget that we even exist. Our differences are tools that can be used to educate others.
Listen, I am new to using a wheelchair when I go out, so I am beginning to discover just how inaccessible the world still is. But I refuse to give up, and neither should you!
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