POWERFUL WORDS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Heidi Johnson-Wright with comic, actor, activist & friend Eddie Izzard on Broadway

SOME ADVICE FROM ONE WHO’S BEEN THERE

By Heidi Johnson-Wright

Trying to fit in with the crowd is part of growing up.

Sometimes your haircut, your brand of blue jeans or what you take in your lunch seems more important than who you are inside.

Fitting in can be extra hard when you have a disability.

Some people may use the word “handicap” or describe a person as blind, deaf or a wheelchair user. Whatever the terms, it means that some people’s bodies are different because they are limited in how they see, hear or move around.

Maybe you know someone at school who uses a hearing aid or walks with crutches, or maybe you have a disability yourself.

Being different than other kids can sometimes make you feel left out.

It’s important to remember that each of us is different in our own way, whether we have a disability or not.

Some people have red hair and freckles, others wear glasses or talk with a foreign accent. Some people are good at sports while others are good at geometry.

What matters is that we’re happy being who we are, and we accept others even if they’re different from the crowd.

Having a disability doesn’t mean that you can’t live a full life. It just means you may have to do things differently than most people.

Some people with visual impairments use Braille to communicate. Braille is a tactile alphabet consisting of raised bumps on paper. The person touches the words to read them instead of reading print with their eyes.

Some people who can’t walk use wheelchairs to get around.

they may drive a special van with an automatic lift on the side that lets them board the van in their wheelchair.

Even though people with disabilities may need to read, drive or do other things differently, they make friends, go to college and get married.

They have families, homes and jobs just like everyone else.
If you have a disability, you may be worried that you won’t be able to go away to college. Maybe your mom and dad have to help take care of you, and you know they can’t leave their jobs.

One solution is to have a personal care attendant. An attendant is someone, often another college student, who helps you dress, shower or keep your dorm room clean.

You train them to help you with things so you can live independently, and they get a chance to earn money for textbooks and pizza.

You can choose a college that has wheelchair-accessible dormitories and classrooms, or sign language interpreters, or Braille tests, depending on your special needs.

Another worry you may have is getting a job when you get out of college. For example, you may wonder if a boss will hire you because you need a special device, or TTY, to talk on the phone if you’re deaf.

Our country has laws that keep employers from rejecting people with disabilities for jobs simply because they need devices to help them work.

If you can do the job -- even if you need special equipment, more room for your wheelchair, or special arrangements for a guide dog -- you can’t be turned down because of your limitations.

These rules even protect after school jobs.

Maybe you still have a quite a few years of school left before you go to college or get a job, but you’re interested in becoming a disability activist now. Think about your local community.

Does it have a park with no wheelchair access to the bathrooms, or a community theater with no wheelchair seating?

Could your school do something to make life easier for students with who have sight, hearing or mobility disabilities?

Suggest a class project -- or create a project for you and your pals -- to encourage the city and schools to make their facilities more accessible.

First, do your homework and get facts about just what the problem is. Second, come up with several solutions. Finally, write a letter to the mayor or appropriate authority. Your teacher or parents can help you decide who you need to contact.
Sometimes because of your differences, you might feel like you’ll never fit in. Remember we all feel like that now and then. But it’s your differences that make you the unique, special, wonderful person you are.

Heidi Johnson-Wright is an ideal role model for young people with disabilities. She graduated from Law School and now works as an expert on universal design and the Americans with Disabilities Act. She has been married for nearly a quarter century, has traveled the globe and has published thousands of articles on barrier-free living.