How would you categorize him?

How do you characterize and categorize people? By their sex? By their skin color? By their hair color? By their weight? By their height? By their occupation? By whether or not they have disability? By whether or not they are they like you?

 

Most people will look at a person they have never met and put them into a group by their characteristics. This happens almost instantaneously. Regardless of how you feel about it, people are judged on their appearance everyday. This is especially true with people who have visible disabilities.

How would you categorize him?

Like any other characteristic about a person, when someone is judged on the fact that they have a disability people’s assumptions may be wrong. Let’s take an obvious example. Most believe that blondes are dumb, so when someone sees a blonde they characterize that person as dumb. However, contrary to that assumption there are plenty of blondes that go to college and become lawyers, doctors, and engineers. The same is true when someone is characterized as a person with a disability. Someone may assume that a person in a wheelchair is weak, but if they would take the time to get to know the person they may see that that person is one of the strongest people they know.

How would you categorize her?

Thinking about that brings me to my point. People use the term “disability” or “disabled” to characterize people. This is not right or wrong. It is the way our brains work. In order to process the world round us we categorize people and things by their characteristics. This allows us to remember people even it is only by “That tall guy at the party” or “The pretty girl who used a walker.”

How would you categorize her?

 To me the word disability does not have a negative connotation. Much the way people view blondes as being dumb, it is people’s lack of further investigation that leaves them with a sour taste for the word disability. I believe that if people would take the time to get to know people with disabilities they would see that someone with a disability is just a normal person with strengths and weaknesses.

-Alex

Over the summer, I was assigned to read a book which I was to write an assignment about once school started back. I chose to read the book “Look Me in the Eye” by John Robison. It is an autobiography about his life with Asperger’s syndrome. I also have this disability.

“Look Me in the Eye” by John Robinson.

I was sitting at a table with some of my friends while doing this assignment, and one asked why I chose to read the book. I was not afraid to discuss my condition with my friends, and they seemed interested and did not put me down for it in any way. In fact, one friend who already knew about Asperger’s, as well as my having it, was quick to explain it to the others sitting with us.

It made me feel good to see my friends interested in the reason behind the way I act at times, and they all seemed to accept it as just another part of me. Many of my friends had already picked up on the fact that I was different, but they enjoyed me for it, and had never judged me or brought it up in a negative way. My point is that people with disabilities should never be afraid to talk about their issues with their friends. Chances are that your friends have already noticed that you are different, and since they are still your friends, you know that you can trust them.

Many ‘normal’ people are very interested in you and what makes you unique, but may be afraid to talk about it for fear of offending you. I encourage anyone who reads this to lose their fear of talking about this subject and let their friends know about their differences. You will find the response to be generally one of acceptance and interest. Besides, if you open up to your friends, they will trust you more, and tell you more about their thoughts and troubles, which will strengthen your relationship even further. Remember, never be afraid to be yourself, and everything will turn out fine. I know that line sounds corny and that you have probably heard it a thousand times, but trust me, it’s true.

-Mason

As an individual who has gone through thick and thin to become independent, I personally don’t like the word “Disability.” I don’t even try to say it too much unless I have to. I think it has too many underestimated definitions. Bear with me for a second and let’s get technical. For example, I googled the word disability in the Merriam-Webster at www.dictionary.com, and it gave me a couple of definitions that made me feel like I was being referred to as a dying vegetable. Below I have taken the liberty of retyping them for anyone to read and give comments on the definition.

In www.dictionary.com

Disability

1. Lack of adequate power, strength, or physical or mental ability; incapacity
2. A physical or mental handicap, esp. one that prevents a person from living a full, normal life or from holding a gainful job
3. Anything that disables or puts one at a disadvantage
4. The state or condition of being disabled
5. Legal incapacity; legal disqualification
6. Disadvantage or deficiency, esp. a physical or mental impairment that interferes with or prevents normal achievements in a particular area.

Now, while reading these definitions, I thought to myself what exactly people consider normal. Take a second and re-read this for me “a physical or mental handicap, esp. one that prevents a person from living a full, normal life or from holding a gainful job.” What do you think? I am saying to myself that this is crazy. I have a disability and it has not prevented me from living a full, normal life so they say. I am going to be 22 years old in a couple of weeks and I’m about to have a baby in a couple of days. I did an internship and was offered a job at the place I interned. So, you tell me how have I not lived a normal life or held a gainful job. I am engaged to a man who like me does not believe in the word disability. To answer James’s question about what does it mean to me, I say nothing. The word “Disability” to me is just a bunch of letters put together. People use it to title individuals who live their daily lives differently. If you think about it, we all live our lives and do things differently. Life itself would be boring if we all looked and did things the same; kind of like robots. I just hope this was useful information to anyone who reads it.

-Cinthia

Bowling Ball Ramp Guide

The ball guide ramp is a simple device that that does what the name suggests it does. It serves as a guide ramp for a bowling ball. The way it works is that a person will place the ramp where they want the ball to go on the lane and then place the ball on top of it. Then they push the ball down the ramp. The ball builds speed and rolls down the lane. Most bowling alleys have one at least one Ball Guide Ramp available for bowlers to use.

Another adaptive device used with bowling is the Retractable Handle Bowling Ball. This device is a bowling ball that has a retractable strap instead of finger holes. A person can grip the handle and throw the ball down the lane. Once released the handle retracts inside the bowling ball allowing the ball to roll down the lane. The Retractable Handle Bowling Ball makes it easier to throw the ball down the lane because it gives the user more area to hold on to the ball.

Retractable Handle Bowlig Ball

The most exciting thing to come out lately that helps people to bowl is the IKAN Bowler. The IKAN Bowler is essentially a ramp that attaches to the front of a person’s power wheelchair. The way it works is that someone places the bowling ball at the top of the ramp then the person in the wheelchair roles up to the line. When they come to a stop, the motion causes the ball to roll down the ramp and on to the lanes. This device gives people in power wheelchair complete control over how well they do in a sport, which is rare for most. The IKAN Bowler is by far the most revolutionary invention in recent bowling history.

These three items help to make the sport of bowling more accessible to people with disabilities. Just because someone has a disability doesn’t that they can’t have fun. These inventions give people with disabilities just one more way to have fun.

-Alex

Remember when you were a child, you used to dream of being a superhero? Maybe like Ironman, with a special suit that would give you superpowers? Well, your dream may come true soon enough, with Japanese robotics company Cyberdyne’s newest creation, the HAL 5.  It even has a snazzy futuristic look to it.

With the HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) suit, you can lift up to ten times your normal amount with little strain.

How does this seemingly simple piece of plastic do it? Cyberdyne’s website explains:

“When a person attempts to move, nerve signals are sent from the brain to the muscles via motoneuron, moving the musculoskeletal system as a consequence. At this moment, very weak bio signals can be detected on the surface of the skin. “HAL” catches these signals through a sensor attached on the skin of the wearer. Based on the signals obtained, the power unit is controlled to move the joint unitedly with the wearer’s muscle movement, enabling to support the wearer’s daily activities.”

To put it in terms we can understand, the HAL suit sort of “feels” what your body wants you to do and helps you do so. However, it doesn’t only help you, but makes you stronger. One example shown in the video below shows the subject carrying four 10kb bags of rice with ease, something an ordinary man would have trouble doing.

However, the HAL 5 suit is designed with thoughts of more than just giving people superhuman strength. According to h+ Magazine, “Cyberdyne is emphasizing helping people with movement disabilities, augmenting strength for difficult industrial tasks, disaster rescue, and entertainment.” People who weren’t able to walk or do certain activities before because of weakened muscles will now be able to do so with the assistance of this suit. So the HAL suit helps make your childhood dreams come true and helps those who need it. Seems well worth the four thousand dollars the suits are projected to cost when they come out on the market.

Looks like it'll be useful for newlyweds as well.

With current technology becoming more and more like the stuff of science fiction novels, that isn’t always a bad thing. Creations like the HAL suit makes it easier for those with disabilities to live without limitations. Oh, and you get to be like Ironman as well. It’s a win-win.

Sources: Cyberdyne English site, h+ Magazine

-Nick Grabowski

Hi, this is an update from Matthew Boselli. The second Florida Youth Council Summit meeting was a success. Why you ask? The answer is simple. It is because everyone participated in the groups and left with a lot of great knowledge. I will continue to be a youth leader and enjoy my time being on the Florida Youth Council and working with my fellow members.

Matthew B.

I love doing many different pastimes, especially making music. I can play several different instruments, but by far I am best at guitar. I have started playing in my church’s praise band, and have learned many valuable lessons about playing for an audience with a band around me. I noticed that even when you can practice a song to perfection, anything can happen when you play it live.

An example of this is one time when a church band and myself had been practicing on a particular song for three weeks, and by the third week, we agreed that we had it down well enough to play at the service. It was a particularly fast, difficult song, but I had finally gotten all my parts down right.

We ran through it three times at practice, and by the time we were done, we sounded like we had written it. One of my favorite parts of this song was the intro, where I got to lead the whole group into it by playing a very quick guitar riff. The rhythm was hard to master, but I finally got it down. Then the time came to play for the youth group that had gathered. It was a pretty big crowd, probably 50-60 youth, and we were all very nervous to perform. Finally, it was time to go, and I launched into the intro. However, I was really nervous, and my adrenaline caused me to play it about twice the normal speed!

It was really funny, because we played the whole song at that pace, and afterwards we were exhausted. Nobody in the crowd knew I had messed up, and they ended up really liking the song. This experience was necessary for me to learn more about live performances. I feel that because this happened, I can now play with a little more control, and next time I will be better. It was a learning experience, and I am glad I had it. 

-Mason