In a message dated 12/06/1999 7:14:48 AM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:
<< the woman who wrote was the one being rude in my point of view.
sorry if that person is reading the post, but, that is my opinion. >>
To be honest, it seemed a little cold-hearted to me, but this was in writing
so it's hard to know what her demeanor is when she responds to a child.
Hopefully, there is kindness in the delivery. This person is probably not on
the list, by the way. I read this someplace else.
Last year, I went on my first vacation since my disability to visit friends
in San Diego. While I was there, I met a man who was into birdwatching as I
am. He and a buddy took me on a birdwatching expedition, and saved me a lot
of time because they knew where all the accessible birding spots were. He
has osteogenesis imperfecta. Anyway, we were in La Jolla, doing our birding
thing, and a little girl came up to me and asked "why that man was so small."
I was very embarrassed because I had just met him, and I didn't know how he
responded to questions like that. I said, "Why don't you ask him?" She
didn't and left instead. It was a first for me to be approached about
someone else's disability. I also thought it was interesting that she came
to me and not him. We were both in wheelchairs. The only difference is that
I don't look physically different from nondisabled people; he does. Maybe
she just happened to be nearer me or something, but at the time I thought it
was because she was afraid to talk with him directly.
I haven't been able to get out for birding in a while. But when I do, I
attach my spotting scope to the side of my chair in a way that if I see
something interesting, I can let somebody else look through the scope to see
it too. I've noticed that most birders will share their scope sightings.
But since my scope is automatically "kid height" I can share my sightings
with children. They don't usually get this opportunity since all the scopes
around them are situated at a much higher level. They get to use a scope and
see a bird they would have otherwise missed, and it gives them a chance to
see that a person with a disability is just like they are. It's a pretty
cool experience actually.
Betty
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