Examining Perceptions
November 4, 2003



by Robin Springer

A friend of mine was in the supermarket recently, placing her groceries
on the checkout counter. She was using one hand. The cashier said to her
"It would go faster if you used both hands."

My friend moved closer to the man, made eye contact, and responded "If
both hands worked, I would."

This story got me thinking about sight - what we see, how we see. How we
interpret what we think we see.

My friend may have looked "normal." She was wearing acceptable clothing.
Her hair was combed in an appropriate way. But "normal" to whom? To
herself? Maybe. To her friends? Perhaps. But she obviously was
different. It was so blatant to the checker he made a comment about it.
What was so obvious? She was using just one hand when most people use
two hands. Was she dawdling? Was she lazy? Or was she modifying the task
so she could be independently productive?

Do people with disabilities see themselves as disabled or do they see
themselves as people who have difficulty doing some things, just like
everyone else in the world? You know, some people have a hard time with
mathematics. Some people are hard-pressed to get to work on time. Some
people have a problem hearing conversation, whether it is because he is
deaf or because she is at a very noisy party.

Understanding that the answers may be as numerous as those questioned, I
engaged some people as to their thoughts on the subject.

Dena, married and working full time, uses a wheelchair and has affected
speech. She does not see herself as "disabled," nor does she consider
herself "different."

Several weeks ago she was in an advisory capacity at a facility that
serves people with disabilities. Watching a group of clients being
loaded onto a bus, she was surprised to see that the staff was
condescending to the clients, ordering them about and treating them as
if they were inferior. For the first time in her life Dena wondered to
herself "Is that how people see me?"

This encounter was a life-altering experience for her. She was given the
opportunity to see how people who are "able-bodied" sometimes view
people who are "disabled." She further reflected that when she first
meets people they often do not take her seriously "because they can't
understand what I'm saying." She realized that, "After they spend time
with me and learn how to understand me, they start to take me more
seriously." Interesting - people take her more seriously once they learn
to understand her. Who changed?

Keeping in mind that we are not always disabled or always able-bodied,
we are able to notice the fluidity as we transition in and out of
able-bodied and disabled states. When we are children we are dependent
on our parents to care for us. As adults we may be able-bodied but break
a bone in a sporting accident, rendering us disabled, even if
temporarily. Senior citizens may have increasing joint stiffness and
illness, limiting their ability to care for themselves.

Our society is caught up being "normal." But the definition of normal
varies among populations. More important than having a concept of what
is "normal" may be having clarity as to what is "normal for me."

At my office we give a discount to clients who are disabled because we
are aware that, for the most part, when you have a disability, getting
things done takes longer and costs more than it does for those who are
able-bodied. We let our clients decide whether or not they "qualify" for
the discount. Many of the clients who partner with us are on disability.
It often amazes me how many of them are unable to work without
adaptation, but would never categorize themselves as disabled.

Comedian Eddie Izzard says in his standup act that as a child he was
afraid that if the other kids discovered he did not conform to society's
vision of "normal" they would "kill (him)." The basis for this anxiety
was that "(Izzard) said a word they didn't understand."

How often do we act as the children he described, fearing that to which
we cannot relate? How often do we treat people we don't understand as
inferior? How many Denas or Eddies are in your life? How does that make
you feel?

Robin Springer is the president of Computer Talk (www.comptalk.com), a
consulting firm specializing in the design and implementation of speech
recognition and other hands-free technology services. She can be reached
at (888) 999-9161 or [log in to unmask]



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