I couldn't help but post a blog about Aimee Mullins after we watched a few clips about her during class on Monday. I loved how she explained that the reason people are judgmental is because of how society enables people to learn facts. When children are told not to ask her question about her fake legs or even look at them, it gives her "disability" a negative connotation instead of a positive one. She explains that it is normal for children to be curious, making it essential to the child's learning ability to hear positive things about disabilities sooner than later. It is the new generations responsibility to start teaching our kids not to find it "weird" when they see someone "not-whole," as the definition of disabled would say.
After Aimee Mullins looked up the connotation of the word disabled in the dictionary and found it to all be negative, she realized that these labels lead to conclusions. If these names are presented to children when they are young, it may limit or shadow their true potentials. Instead of passing on these stereotypes, we as a society need to learn how to accept it and move past them. We need to learn how to make language positive for people with disabilities and teach these new ways of speech to our children and so on. Until we can learn how to accept people for who they are, we will be living in a cold world. Aimee Mullins really opened my eyes to the potential of advocacy and what it really means to spread awareness for a cause.
I totally agree with you Megan! These Ted talk video's really surprised me too. I didn't realize how wrong our definition is of people who might be missing limbs, or their sight, or hearing or whatever. The point is, it doesn't make them any less human, and it doesn't make them any less whole. And the sad part is, a lot of people are probably so surprised by her because of how whole, healthy, and happy she looks. Those words were definitely not next to disabled in the dictionary. She has the appearance of what most would think of as not disabled, so the non disabled community actually gives her attention. She's beautiful, professional, and successful. It was eye opening to me how shallow we are as a society. Great insights!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely agree with your fist paragraph, I also found it pretty awesome how she was able to get those kids to pretty much not even recognize her disability. I really hope in future generations that people start teaching their kid's that being "not whole" really isn't a problem and that they can learn to accept these people in society.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. People forget that a disabled person is also human who needs care, companionship and acceptance like every other person. The stigma associated with the word "disabled" as you said has several negative connotations. Furthermore, society automatically assumes disability as somewhat lesser due to these stigmas associated with them. People need to find positive words to describe them even though the trend might fall to the latter. Disability does not make the person any less human rather it tells us that we need to see them as one of us and not alienate them or see them as any lesser than any of us. Society needs to let go of the stigmas and follow the path to positivity.
ReplyDeleteMegan, you could not be more right. When I was watching the TED talk I was really shocked as well. What she was saying was so true. It was really interesting how she talked about children and their natural curiosity for the unknown. I was also really shocked to see the definition of disability in the dictionary, I cannot believe that at this day in age we still view people with disabilities in that manner.
ReplyDelete