1:23am February 3, 2012

“

When you start writing a story about disability, the difficulty is that people already think they know how it will end. If you write, “he was disabled,” then half the work is already done, because it seems to be a familiar story. You can write,

“He was born with a rare genetic condition, and eventually he declined into a tragic death. It might have been better if he had never been born.”

Everyone knows this story. We have also read this one:

“She was an angry woman, full of resentment against the world and her predicament. People tried to be kind to her, but she rejected them.”

The third story ends:

“Despite suffering and restriction, he achieved great things with bravery. He overcame his handicap and was an inspiration to us all.”

Every story about a disabled person risks sounding like an obituary. How can you become a character when the world has already decided that you are a type?

”

Tom Shakespeare

And this is why it sometimes feels like most of the world can’t even see me or my friends or my family or most of the important people in my life.

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