How do you feel about disabilities?

Ever since I was born, my left arm has been all but useless except in the most rudimentary tasks (picking up heavy things, manipulation of large objects, etc.). It is smaller and weaker than my right arm. It also tends to mirror whatever my right hand is doing, which means that out in public, you can definitely tell there is something wrong. Now I'm not moaning. I've figured out how to do most things differently. I get the occasional odd looks, but once people realize I'm as intelligent as I am, physical appearance rarely matters. I don't even so much mind people asking me about it. It's just part of who I am. What really gets to me are the people who make remarks about it.

Now, how do y'all feel about people with disabilities? By that I mean are you the type who just hangs back and looks or would you ask someone about it?

As an example... I have taught myself how to type 30-35 words a minute with only my right hand.

Reply 1

Rouge

i'm the type who would never ever ask about a disability, i would wait until the person wanted to talk about it, i know they wouldn't want pity or more attention for it, so why ask.
anyway, how severe is your problem, can you control movement of the left arm at all?

Reply 2

ISH

Some... I liken it to a baby's arm. Because there is a period of time before they have complete control over their own movements. I can control it, but I have to concentrate, and I can't be doing anything else, or it won't do what i tell it to.

Reply 3

ISH

...and i understand what you say about being ready to talk about it. I used to tell people who asked that I hurt it in an accident. The type of accident varied... (car, biking, skiing, etc.) About two years ago I realized that it matters not how it happened. I've got nothing to feel bad about.

Reply 4

minimo

Well, I'd like to think that as people necome older, they become wiser. However, I've found, in my case, that people cared less about my problems when I was at my rubbish-y school than they seem to do here - at what is arguably one of the foremost institutions in the world. I've had the piss taken out of me a fair bit, namely on Facebook. It just gets me really, really down. :frown:

Reply 5

sparkly_tiara

To ISurfHawaii- i would never ask someone about their disability. At the end of the day, it is none of my business and i certainly wouldn't judge someone for it. And anyone who is a half decent human being wouldn't care either!

To Minimo- Sorry to hear about what has been happening to you. Cambridge is so incredibly competitive that people will find something to put you down about in order to feel better about themselves (and i just got that sense on the open day so goodness knows what it is like studying there properly)! Having said that, there are good, honest and decent people there too and i hope you meet them. Stay strong. x

Reply 6

hannah_dru

The only time I feel awkward about it is at job interviews because I feel I have to put both down in case I have an accident. I feel like they think I'm making it up because I seem perfectly normal and they're not that well known. Then I'm usually asked about it and I sound like a ******.

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