Bobby, Joanne and Mag,

I think Matt is trying to say that the reason doctors, and to a large
extent, people in general have a negative concept of spasticity is
because spasticity isn't "normal."  Most spastic c.p.er's require a
wheelchair to get around, further aggravating the negativity.  As I've
pointed out, walking is very overrated.  I don't think with my feet...

Human beings being what we are, we really don't like differences in
other people or ourselves.  When we perceive something is other than the
norm, our tendency is to try to bring it to the norm (i.e. be
ablebodied), be it through surgery, drugs, or what have you.  I like
Betty's term for this. She calls it "ABLEISM."   That's not to say we
can't improve through therapy, assistive tech, and/or other ways, as
long as we realize we may never be at the norm.

mike

-----Original Message-----
From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bobby G. Greer, Ph.
D.
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2001 1:11 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Drugs....

So, why get educated, why go intp rehab engineering. If you REALLY
accept
yourself and other people with disabilities, using your semantic
interpretation of "acceptance"; aren't you being hypocritical. If I can
not
do something and I get someone to develope a device to assist to do it,
am I
not "not accepting the disability"????

Bobby