The world wants me to disappear
Sam Barbour
I feel like the world overlooks me or others with disabilities because they do not understand what it is like to have a disability or understand that we have abilities or personalities also. Some are huge factor of this type of behavior is a Ableism. While mostly unintentional it is hurtful to those with wheelchairs or disabilities who wish to be seen and more importantly understood. An example of unintentional Ableism would be when I was younger. I had visited a family member who did not install a ramp for my wheelchair. Instead she wanted me to go up and down the stairs in my chair. Thinking I would be just fine. An unintentional form of Ableism I have personally witnessed was buildings or apartments not being totally accessible while in my wheelchair. Like the doors and hallways were too small to accommodate the width of my chair. Even though they were technically built to inspection codes. Employers also overlook people with disabilities when looking to hire and fill a position at their workplace. Some employers do not have to give reasonable accommodation when looking for new hires. Some places of employment also have hired people who have lesser opinions of lesser feelings when it comes to people with special needs or disabilities. Making it even harder to keep a job once obtained.
Disability doesn’t get the respect that it deserves. Disability isn’t portrayed accurately in movies or TV shows. Most actors don’t take roles featuring disability seriously. When a movie or show does have a disabled character in it. they gloss over it and makes to seem unimportant.
The most common disability seen and portrayed in media is autism but little else. Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory is most people’s only experience with autism or Asperger's syndrome. By making him just seem quirky and strange, that makes most people believe that is the only way autism is exhibited.
When you do see disabilities on TV or in movies (which is not often) it's normally glorified and brought to an unrealistic standard. Most movies have attractive caregivers. lots of money and live in big houses. Society paints that people in wheelchairs can and should give up. Makes disability look funny, a joke, or makes it look like fun. Most people think that disability is tragic and pathetic.
Disabled characters always have attractive or quirky personalities and make or have lots of money. Some characters are more needy than what is realistic and closer to families. They get everyone to do stuff for them, even getting a girlfriend for them. Automatically has all the expensive handicap equipment. They are never alone. Even the newest film featuring someone with special needs, the Upside with Kevin Hart portraying a caregiver, although is more realistic, than other films, still has the person with special needs being incredibly wealthy.
The main example I want to talk about is the movie Me Before You. It is about an attractive man who is paralyzed and an attractive caregiver who is hired to take care of him and they fall in love with each other. The problem is that the man wants to die through doctor assisted suicide. The caregiver spends months trying to talk him out of it, but it doesn't work.
This movie is sad, depressing, and heartbreaking. I wish the guy would have lived more. Being disabled doesn't mean you have to die. He should have listened to his family and caregiver. He should have looked at his options. You can live happily without walking. Friends and family could have made him happy. He had lots of opportunities. He should have appreciated what he had. Not everybody has what he had; family, a girlfriend, money, and travel. He could have lived a good life with adventure and love.
How the movie was put together, I didn’t like or agree with it. The whole concept of the main character gave himself six months to live. His attitude wasn’t good. He had so much money, which gave opportunity, yet he couldn’t see it. His family and caregiver tried to give him opportunities that would make him happy, yet didn’t see the big picture. He looked perfect for someone who has been quadriplegic for two years. He couldn’t adjust his head in bed, yet his wheelchair didn’t even have a headrest. This is an example of how movies incorrectly portray those with special needs.
It is downright wrong to encourage someone with special needs to kill themselves due to their disabilities. A lot of special needs, including myself, have had doubts and questioned our existence, so to have a movie encourage something like that, truly makes me believe the world wants us to disappear. It sends the wrong message. You don’t have to be unhappy. You can live a happy life with friends and family.
In conclusion, be respectful to those with special needs and society needs to work on inclusion and not portraying special needs in such a disrespectful manner. Society needs to stop hiding the truth and struggles about those with special needs. We aren’t pathetic and we don’t deserve to be looked down upon.
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