"Disability" something most people will never experience, while some will only experience for short periods of time after an accident or surgery, but thousands of people live everyday of their lives with permanent disabilities. Disabilities that effect how they function in society, how they are received in situations, how they are interacted with at school, church, work and home. Many of theses people live in neighborhoods that are totally inaccessible to them. That little curb in front of your local video store is like a ten foot wall to a person in a wheel chair. The isles in the convenience store around the corner are an impossible maze to a person on crutches. The height of the shelves at the local grocery store  are an insurmountable barrier to a person with dwarfism. The lack of sidewalks prevent many of these people from enjoying the everyday scenes most of us take for granted, while the lack of curb cutouts make the shortest outing a life threatening endeavor.

  Gone are the days when hiding our disabled relatives away in institutions was an acceptable practice. Gone too are the days when having a physical disability meant you were unteachable, untrainable, worthless. Forever gone is the belief that physical disabilities went hand in hand with mental disabilities. GONE, GONE, GONE are the days when the disabled population of the world would stand silently by and allow themselves to be excluded!

        The governments of the world have acknowledged "the rights of the disabled" so WHY are we still fighting??? Why do we have to yell, scream, cry, and threaten law suits to obtain what the laws say we are entitled to? Why are our children still being locked out of regular classrooms? Why are we still denied housing because we "walk funny"? Why are we denied jobs because we can't stand up to perform our tasks?  WHY?!

Because most people aren't even aware that this is happening! The laws say it is illegal to discriminate based on sex, race, religion, sexual preference, national origin, AND disability! Look around you, how many physically disabled children are being educated in your local schools? How many disabled people attend your church? How many disabled people do you see working in the shops you frequent?

You can help by asking why. Then by letting it be known that you will not stand for the continued discrimination  of our disabled friends, neighbors, and relatives. Educate yourselves on the IDEA laws, the ADA laws, and section 504. Join us when me march in Washington. Listen to us when we tell you of our trials. Help us to obtain what you already have...... an education, a job, a home, a life.