standing up is overrated!

Standing up is overrated!

Why is there a stigma associated with people who use wheelchairs? I do not understand why using a wheelchair means that you are subhuman in the eyes of many. Apparently I didn't get the memo.

I understand that people are afraid of the unknown. That is true in almost anything. We refuse to be canceled out just because we use wheelchairs. Why do people isolate me because I have a disability? Why do people always talk to my personal assistant when they should be addressing me instead? Just because I use a wheelchair does not mean that I am incompetent. My Northwestern degree was not given to me out of sympathy. Even the very idea of saying that somebody is confined to or stuck in a wheelchair can contribute to the stigma.

I am a person, this is an indisputable fact. I have the same wants and desires as anybody else. We all do. I want to have more friends. I want to have a girlfriend. I want to have a good job. I just want to be included. Is that really too much to ask? Next time you see a person in a wheelchair, think about what I have to say. Think about how you can treat us just like anyone else. Ask us your questions. We want to feel important. We want to feel needed. I have good self-esteem but some people with disabilities do not. They could really use some love from their fellow humans. Treat us with dignity. Treat us like people.