Disability In A Nutshell {Completed}

Advantages, Accommodations, Whatever You Wanna Call Them

So while being disabled has many setbacks and can make life exceptionally difficult, there are also some good things that can come with being disabled.

So when I was 8 years old, my horseback riding teacher told my parents about the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make-A-Wish is an organization that gives kids who may be ill or disabled any wish they want for free. Since this organization is mainly for kids who have diseases like cancer and only have a few months to live, my parents and I didn't think I'd get in because my situation isn't actually that bad, but we applied anyway.

Anyway, a little while later, we got a letter saying that they were gonna give me my wish. A month later, I was on my way to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and only had to pay for the souvenirs I bought. Why?

Because I'm disabled.

On to the second thing!

During my time at the snobbish private school I go to (JK, it's not that snobbish. I mean, it's Quaker), I've gone on a few overnight field trips. During one of them, we stayed at this campground with cabins and yurts (round mini cabins), and I got to stay in the one with a RAMP because of my walker. It also had several outlets, a fan, a nice set of table and chairs, and a refrigerator. During another one, I also got to stay in the cabin with a bathroom. I did have to go up lots of steep stairs to get to it, but I ain't complaining because the public bathroom was even further away and it was nasty. Also, my friends love to bunk with me because I get the best sleeping conditions.

So yeah. That's how ya get popular, people! You mysteriously contract Cerebral Palsy, get a walker, and get all the accommodations to share with your friends. Everyone will love you!

I'm joking. You shouldn't be worried about being popular anyway. It's totally overrated.

There are also cool machines you can ride if you need quick access to a certain area in some places. Like, my class had the opportunity to go to the beach as a part of one of our field trips in 6th grade and it was hard for me to get through the sand with my walker, so I rode on this cool inflated thing with huge tires and it felt like a chariot, and I wanted to yell, "Bow down, Peasants!"

I'm crazy, I know.

I also got to ride on one of those golf cart thingies when my class went to the Orioles game in Baltimore recently because the parking lot was too far away. Isn't that cool?

And then there's the basics like elevators, ramps, special aisle, etc. And like I said before, your friends will love you for the fact that they don't have to walk up stairs whenever they accompany you somewhere with multiple floors. I know mine do!

Also, the law protects people with disabilities as well with the American Disability Act that was passed in 1990. So if you're disabled, it's illegal for someone to exclude you from a public service based on your disability.