Anyone with a disability will know what it’s like to feel pitied – to be considered one of those ‘less fortunate’. It’s a sentiment that can follow us wherever we go. Sometimes it’s one of those flashing road signs that everyone can’t help but notice. At other times it’s more subtle like a gas that takes all the air from the room. So how can it be dealt with, without turning you into a frustrated or embittered creature from the deep?
The act of pity comes from a well-meaning place. It’s a well-intended act of kindness. It is also an assumption on their part. Some parts of our existence are more complicated than they are for most, it’s an inescapable fact. Able-bodied people are aware of that and feel bad for us – for what they have ‘have’ and we ‘lack’.
Freya
Dearest Lilly
We all know that I read a lot of blogs. I read them to see what other bloggers are writing. I also read them to see the types of comments people make about them. Today, while I was blog trawling, I came across the following comment relating to educating kids with disabilities in America.
‘Why do we even bother paying for education for these kids?’ wrote a commenter named Lilly. ‘Their parents chose to have kids and now their disability and special needs amount to a rise in taxes. Their parents just get a lawyer and fight and fight until the school district ends up paying for special programs. Why? Why not divert the funds for gifted and talented students instead of kids who will need societal support their whole life.’
Read more: Dearest Lilly
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