I don’t particularly like labels, but I have to admit they
can be useful at times. I recently
reorganized my home office and putting labels on the storage boxes has been
incredibly helpful for finding things I am looking for. Labels can also help identify someone who may
need extra services. Knowing if someone
is a diabetic or a vegetarian might change the menu options I would offer at an
event. Labels can help me plan appropriate modifications. As a teacher,
labels were useful to remind me to provide accommodations for students who
might need something special like larger print, extra help with note-taking,
etc. The downside of these labels
happens when we see the label instead of looking at the person.
Recently our local news program covered an inspirational
story about a young man who uses a wheelchair, but with some help he was able to fulfill a dream to go down the Grand Canyon and put his toes in the Colorado
River. With help from family and friends he hiked down and then
back up the Grand Canyon. I loved the
story, except for the ill-informed news anchors and how they referred to this
young man as they introduced the story. The first anchor introduced
the story of a “wheelchair-bound” young boy.
Immediately this conjured up images of someone tied up to a chair with ropes and/or
duct tape. Next the other
anchor actually described this young man as “stuck in a wheelchair” which had
me wondering if copious amounts of glue were somehow involved in this horrible
tragedy.
Please don’t misunderstand, I am not the politically correct
police, but after years of working with individuals who also happen to have
disabilities I get frustrated when these incredible men and women are reduced
to trite labels.
Yes, that young man did have a physical disability that
required the use of a wheelchair for mobility, but he was not ‘stuck’ or ‘bound’
to the chair. Despite his physical
limitations, he was participating in an activity that many able-bodied
individuals would be hesitant to try.
Let’s focus more on a
person and less on a label and
we will all be better off for it.
To view the story click here:
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