Three important notes to remember, People with disabilities are individuals Their disability is only a part of who one is , They want to be treated with respect, as individuals and not as their labels Mostly they most want to be treated as themselves. Next this is crucial not as their label or only as their condition. I’ll explain what I mean next.
I’d love to talk to you of ” The People First movement.: Everybody is much more than their disability, “disorder, disease. “Take yours truly Lady Lynda Mae Hoffenfetter Toze, I am diagnosed with several medical conditions, One of them is diabetes type two, You could rightly say I am diabetic but that dismisses other parts of who I am. In the “People First:” movement everyone is much more than their disability, disorder, disease , condition, Instead the preferred expression is I am diagnosed or I have what ever diagnosis I like I have fill in the blank but fill in the blank doesn’t have me, My other health issues are ADHD, High Blood pressure aka hypertensive, I am diagnosed as oppose to I am. I am whatever dismisses the fact I am a woman. I am Jewish , I am a feminist and a proud wife to shoe salesman pedicurist Seymour Toze. Otherwise the term I am for example hypertensive dismisses every other truth of who I am.
People with disabilities are much more the same as people without handicap They like you and me want to be treated with respect They appreciate being treated with kindness, respect consideration to their situation,. Try to find a common bond. for example one of my women friends was born a severe case of cerebral palsy She is for most of the time in a reclining wheel chair. One of her loves is the NBA.Phila. PA Sixers. This sport is something we both relate to. Try to find a topic each of you are interested in. That you can relate to. That is if its a social or casual situation. One thing to remember is we are far more similar than we are dissimular. One’s illness disorder, disability is only a part of what makes them a person.