At some point in our lives, living with a disability will touch all of us, whether it is we who face this struggle or someone we know.
Each day, individuals with intellectual disabilities struggle to lead a "normal" life - that is, doing the things that many of us enjoy each day without a second thought, such as being accepted in the society that surrounds us and automatically picking up on social cues and practices.
Many of us might also know someone with a disability, perhaps through volunteering with Special Olympics, religious organizations, school or family.
The 1990 census revealed that there are 6.2 million to 7.5 million people nationwide with intellectual disabilities, and these individuals have amazing things to contribute to society as well. Chapel Hill's own Kerry Hagner won a gold medal in this summer's world Special Olympics in China, something that I certainly have not managed to achieve, and my interactions with the disabled community leave me continually amazed at their talents and ability to form friendships.
The recent comments made by a University professor have made the disabled community and its advocates, both in Chapel Hill and nationwide, truly concerned about increasing awareness and education about the difficulties and triumphs that people with intellectual disabilities face daily.
Although no one will dispute that living with an intellectual disability is harder than living without one, this does not mean that those with intellectual disabilities cannot have an equal quality of life and positively impact as many, if not more, of the people around them than those without disabilities. There are support networks, group homes and funding such as Medicaid to assist those with intellectual disabilities in achieving their life goals and living much as any of us, here at UNC, would. In Chapel Hill, organizations like the Arc of Orange County and Residential Services provide opportunities and aid for those with disabilities.
My friends with disabilities and I share interests such as Carolina basketball, seeing movies and simply hanging out - in other words, we have little differences other than that those with an intellectual disability have labels affixed to them that I do not, and the difficulties they face in being accepted in society make any day-to-day difficulties I might face seem trivial.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, granting individuals with disabilities nondiscrimination in the workplace and in other public venues.
However, this act means nothing without our assistance - if we believe every erroneous fact we hear about the inability of people with disabilities to have viable lives and to contribute to the society around them, we will continue to treat them with less than the respect they deserve. If we instead recognize that they do face challenges and that they have things to share with us, we can help improve their quality of life by being an understanding friend.
In my own group on campus, Best Buddies, we foster friendships and help erase the constructed divide between those with intellectual disabilities and those without. If we recognize their challenges, as our neighbors, family members and friends, we can further their quality of life by providing an accepting community.
Things are changing for the better, and one person, whether they have an intellectual disability or not, can have an enormous impact on the lives of others, as my work with Best Buddies has shown me time and again.
By just accepting those with disabilities as they are, respecting the challenges they face and reaching out a hand in friendship, we can help change things, one person and negative stereotype at a time.
