I live with a disability.
I use a wheelchair. Like many people with my disability, I have encountered
numerous hardships as a result not so much of the disability, but
the reaction of my peers to my chair. Although the societal barriers
at the adult level are important, I will focus here on my experiences
at the elementary school level.
First of all, just receiving standard transportation to school was
a problem. My parents fought with the schools for my right to use transportation
the other kids used. Without that advocacy, I very likely would have
been required to take transportation that isolated me from the rest
of my schoolmates. I also sat near the front of the bus, far away from
most of the seats. This was not by choice, but by the location of the
wheelchair straps, which held me in a position on the bus where I was
unable to talk with my peers. I felt extremely isolated from the rest
of the children on the bus, especially when I looked back and saw them
laughing while talking to each other. That being said, I learned to
talk loud enough so my voice was heard. I talked to the bus driver,
asking if there was another way I could position my chair to allow
conversation with people that I could actually see.
Social awkwardness has been one of the most frustrating problems I
have encountered throughout my life. In school, I was frequently isolated
from my classmates. I often pushed myself into groups because students
almost never invited me. This exclusion led to understandable feelings
of isolation and hurt. I often ended up asking the teacher if he/she
would be my partner. One cannot underestimate, especially at that age,
the effect that such shunning has on self-confidence. Imagine asking
the teacher if he/she will be your partner simply because your classmates
do not want to be your partner. Granted, this exclusion happened to
unpopular kids as well. But even they had a distinct group that generally
shut me out. Since I was actually quite outspoken as a child, I do
not believe that my personality had much, if anything, to do with my
isolation. Though I eventually developed some solid friendships, it
took my own will. I had to break that fear and curiosity of the unknown.
I write this not in
an effort to blame people for problems I encountered. The school
system improved significantly in its dealings with me. I write
to identify a particular problem area in which I believe the root
of discrimination and misunderstanding lies: elementary school
experiences. The elementary school age is where we begin socializing
with our peers, and school is the primary way in which we meet
new people at that age, given our limited access to society. If
we are to eliminate some of the social confines that society places
on people with disabilities, we must strive to change society at
this very basic level. ![]()
