This past week, on December 3rd to be exact, people all around the world observed International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The annual celebration seeks to honor those living with a disability as well as create awareness around what it means to live with a disability in today’s society. I personally was unaware that such an observance even existed, which ironically speaks to the lack of conversation being had regarding the disabled community. I ended up researching some of the history behind the day and came across an incredible article by Brian Seibert from The New York Times, “To See and Be Seen: These Dancers Make Disability Visible.”
If you get a chance, give it a read, but in sum, the piece highlighted two extraordinary efforts of disability interpretation. One quote that really resonated with me was by Alice Sheppard, artistic director of Kinetic Lights. She stated, “Rather than access being retroactive accommodation, we’re thinking about access from the very beginning.”
Think about that for a moment. The way we approach the needs of those who are disabled is an afterthought, a secondary matter. But what if it was at the forefront of all of our minds instead of, “we will cross that bridge when we get there” type mentality? Recognizing the needs and rights of those living with a disability should be the standard, not the exception.
A social worker by training and an empath by nature, I am always looking out for the minority, those who are marginalized, the “underdog” if you will. But did you know, according to the World Health Organization, that over a billion people of the world’s population have some form of disability and that almost everyone at some point in their life is likely to experience some form of disability (temporary or permanent)? Seems far from “minor,” don’t you think?
If you cannot tell, I’m very passionate about this topic. Of course it affects me on a personal level, but it also impacts my family, my friends, my coworkers, my neighbors, my fellow MG warriors, my city, my state, my country, my world. Take the time to reflect on the question, “what does disability mean to you?”
#MGA #MyastheniaGravisAssociation #MGADigest #MGStrong #MyastheniaGravis #ChronicIllness #RareDisease #AutoimmuneDisease #NeuromuscularDisease #InternationalDayofPersonsWithDisabilities
This blog post was written by Meridith O'Connor, St. Louis Program Coordinator of the Myasthenia Gravis Association.