Workshop emphasizes ability rather than disability

September 15, 2008 11:42 pm



Stephen Hawking is a renowned British applied mathematician, theoretical physicist and cosmologist, as well as a best-selling author.

He also has to use a wheelchair and a special computer controlled by eye blinks to communicate and to open and close doors in his home and office. He has lived with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, for many years.

But when you look at him he doesn’t want you to see his disability.

“It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability,” Hawking said. “One has to get on with life and I haven’t done badly. People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.”

Proper treatment of people with disabilities was the subject of a recent presentation at Security National Bank. The event, put on last week by Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, was designed to educate those in attendance on “disability etiquette” and also provide information on the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Nancy Holden of ODRS said people with disabilities want to be thought of simply as people, not as disabled people.

“They prefer you look at their abilities, not their disabilities,” she said.

Among the tips for interacting with people with disabilities offered at the workshop were to ask someone before helping them, to use common sense and to extend common courtesies. Also participants were urged to be patient, don’t patronize and to relax and be yourself.

Part of the session was an exercise in which SNB employees received a small taste of what it is like to have a disability. Those without disabilities can never truly know what it is like to be disabled, but any educational opportunity like this is positive.

Most people want to be courteous and helpful, but an occasional reminder is certainly helpful. Workshops like the one conducted at SNB will help people be more sensitive to some of the issues people with disabilities face and help people focus on the other person’s ability instead of their disability.



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