Impression on Stories about Disabilities
Added on 2022-08-26
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Running head: IMPRESSION ON STORIES ABOUT DISABILITIES
Impression on Stories about Disabilities
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note
Impression on Stories about Disabilities
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note
IMPRESSION ON STORIES ABOUT DISABILITIES1
Introduction:
The book “About us” consists of 60 essay published in The New York Times opinion
series Disability. These essays are the reflections of disable peoples about their sufferings,
coping-up methods, feelings and philosophies. The book represents a wide range of voice,
experience and perspectives. Writers of the series offered personal experiences, testimonials,
complaints and discoveries to millions of readers. Through these reflections, they helped to
reshape the national consciousness and the discourse around the common human condition
that we recognize as disability. The purpose of this paper is to share my experience, feelings
and thoughts as a reader of these stories. I read all the stories and the stories seem very
emotional and inspirational to me at the same time. I have chosen three stories from this book
to discuss in the following section. From the justice section I have chosen the story named
You Are Special! Now Stop Being Different written by Jonathan Mooney. From the coping
section I have chosen My Life with Paralysis, It’s a Workout written by Valerie Piro. From
the family section I have chosen Passing My Disability On to My Children written by Sheila
Black.
Impression on Story 1: You are special! Now stop being different
In the New York Times' disability series, You are special! Now stop being different is
one of the most favourite stories of mine and it is a brilliant piece of author Jonathan
Mooney. Author Jonathan Mooney had attention and learning disabilities. He shares his
thoughts on how the education system filed to embrace his individuality and focused only on
fixing, instead of embracing. In this story he wrote that because of this continuous pressure of
fixing his problem through treatment his attention and learning disabilities destroyed his
creativity and self-worth. He always felt depressed and experienced himself as a subject of
treatment or as a patient. The depression caused him agitated and he dropped-out school at
Introduction:
The book “About us” consists of 60 essay published in The New York Times opinion
series Disability. These essays are the reflections of disable peoples about their sufferings,
coping-up methods, feelings and philosophies. The book represents a wide range of voice,
experience and perspectives. Writers of the series offered personal experiences, testimonials,
complaints and discoveries to millions of readers. Through these reflections, they helped to
reshape the national consciousness and the discourse around the common human condition
that we recognize as disability. The purpose of this paper is to share my experience, feelings
and thoughts as a reader of these stories. I read all the stories and the stories seem very
emotional and inspirational to me at the same time. I have chosen three stories from this book
to discuss in the following section. From the justice section I have chosen the story named
You Are Special! Now Stop Being Different written by Jonathan Mooney. From the coping
section I have chosen My Life with Paralysis, It’s a Workout written by Valerie Piro. From
the family section I have chosen Passing My Disability On to My Children written by Sheila
Black.
Impression on Story 1: You are special! Now stop being different
In the New York Times' disability series, You are special! Now stop being different is
one of the most favourite stories of mine and it is a brilliant piece of author Jonathan
Mooney. Author Jonathan Mooney had attention and learning disabilities. He shares his
thoughts on how the education system filed to embrace his individuality and focused only on
fixing, instead of embracing. In this story he wrote that because of this continuous pressure of
fixing his problem through treatment his attention and learning disabilities destroyed his
creativity and self-worth. He always felt depressed and experienced himself as a subject of
treatment or as a patient. The depression caused him agitated and he dropped-out school at
IMPRESSION ON STORIES ABOUT DISABILITIES2
age 10. He shared that he spent hours a day being fixed and gradually he was turned into a
'patient' who needed treatment rather than a human being with differences to be empowered
(Catapano and Garland-Thomson 2019).
Through this story I have realised that how American culture preaches a "rhetoric of
differences" and love of the individual, at the same time treats kids as a subject to be fixed for
any kind of disputes. I have realised that we all have some extent of disabilities in our daily
life, where if we try to fix the problems with prescribed procedure instead of empathy, and
embracement we will become more disappointed, depressed. It will increase our disability
instead of curing it. In his story he shared that even now he is not able to spell or write
properly, however, he have built his life with support on his strengths while mitigating his
weaknesses. In his life he fights for every person’s right to be different instead of being a
subject to be fixed. I have never seen the definition of disability rights this way. It does make
perfect sense though. It's a sameness and tradition rejection. I understood the value of a
campaign for equal rights that opposes the notion that disability is the issue and advocates for
schools and workplaces that are inclusive enough to accommodate everyone.
Impression on Story 2: My Life with Paralysis, It’s a Workout
In the New York Times' disability series, My Life with Paralysis, It’s a Workout is
another most favourite story of mine and it is a brilliant piece of author Valerie Piro. In this
story author Valerie Piro had paralysis and she never perceive it is a problem, rather she
found that her regular routine is a health maintenance. She shared that she never considered
her paralysis as a boundary that could define the level of enjoyment and involvement in her
life. She never keep herself away from her duties and she is always very serious about her
class even when her disability makes it difficult to work (Catapano and Garland-Thomson
2019). She avoid being labelled as disabled and she made her life as her personal hurdle. In
this piece, author Piro inspired the readers by sharing her view on her disability. She
age 10. He shared that he spent hours a day being fixed and gradually he was turned into a
'patient' who needed treatment rather than a human being with differences to be empowered
(Catapano and Garland-Thomson 2019).
Through this story I have realised that how American culture preaches a "rhetoric of
differences" and love of the individual, at the same time treats kids as a subject to be fixed for
any kind of disputes. I have realised that we all have some extent of disabilities in our daily
life, where if we try to fix the problems with prescribed procedure instead of empathy, and
embracement we will become more disappointed, depressed. It will increase our disability
instead of curing it. In his story he shared that even now he is not able to spell or write
properly, however, he have built his life with support on his strengths while mitigating his
weaknesses. In his life he fights for every person’s right to be different instead of being a
subject to be fixed. I have never seen the definition of disability rights this way. It does make
perfect sense though. It's a sameness and tradition rejection. I understood the value of a
campaign for equal rights that opposes the notion that disability is the issue and advocates for
schools and workplaces that are inclusive enough to accommodate everyone.
Impression on Story 2: My Life with Paralysis, It’s a Workout
In the New York Times' disability series, My Life with Paralysis, It’s a Workout is
another most favourite story of mine and it is a brilliant piece of author Valerie Piro. In this
story author Valerie Piro had paralysis and she never perceive it is a problem, rather she
found that her regular routine is a health maintenance. She shared that she never considered
her paralysis as a boundary that could define the level of enjoyment and involvement in her
life. She never keep herself away from her duties and she is always very serious about her
class even when her disability makes it difficult to work (Catapano and Garland-Thomson
2019). She avoid being labelled as disabled and she made her life as her personal hurdle. In
this piece, author Piro inspired the readers by sharing her view on her disability. She
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