Life with disabled family members often makes me feel like the I am the poor stranger who walks in on a joke being told, only to realize too late that they are the punchline. The outsider, my face pressed against the looking glass— quietly observing.
If my unorthodox life has taught me anything, it is that trips to Walmart and church are not what people consider to be “normal.” Nonetheless, I love our weekly excursions that involve clumsily wielding the grocery cart for my Nana, often murmuring an awkwardly-forced, “Excuse me,” as we squeeze through the congested aisles. And running every which way to catch up with my screaming brother, Remi, who just had to get the Family Size pack of Doritos is a sanctified ritual. At this point the overconcerned sweet nothings and looks from strangers are just a part routine.
Though I share these experiences with them, I feel a deep seated guilt because I can never truly put myself in their shoes. The world can be a cold and empty place, and without a support system, the feeling of its weight is overbearing. What is it like to live independently as a blind woman in your old age? How does school seem from the perspective of a young adult with autism? There is a stigma against the differently abled, and it is a …show more content…
Going beyond the underlying causes of prejudice and disparity—differing cultures, socioeconomics, education levels— I came to know of its burden, and the faces of this issue. I talked to teachers, doctors, family, all leaders familiar with disparity, and eager to do away with it. To simply acknowledge that prejudice exists does not exploit its crippling nature. In order to negate the societal burdens of this plaguing mindset, we must support cooperatives, people, and mentalities that work to promote inclusiveness. To do my part, I got involved with The