Discriminating the Disabled: My Story and Why It Still Matters
When I was younger, I thought discrimination was something that happened to other people. But then we learned about discrimination in school and as a child i remember feeling like I could relate to it. The truth is, discrimination shows up in many forms, including against people with disabilities. I’ve lived it.
Early Lessons in Defending Others
In kindergarten, I had a classmate with Tourette syndrome. He got bullied a lot. I would quickly come to his aid because it just killed me to see others making fun of him. I knew he was special like me. The mocking would quickly turn to disabled jokes, but it didn’t seem as bad if I was the victim. I felt better once the attention was taken off of him.
Growing Up Under the Microscope
I would love to say this lessened as I grew up, but it did not. It did get more clever than “you should work at IHOP”. Middle school is tough for anyone, preteens are a rough crowd! Now imagine heading into that being significantly shorter than everyone around you, missing one of your legs, and getting 11 of your teeth surgically removed because you’re way behind in every aspect of development. I basically went in with a “kick-me” sign on my back.
Highschool, unfortunately, evolved into teachers joining in. In one of my literature classes, we read a short story about an amputee. A man stole her leg and left her stranded in a field. I don’t know about you, but I feel the most vulnerable when my leg is a) off and b) out of my reach. The teacher just kept making fake leg jokes and laughing at how helpless this character was. The whole class was laughing – except for me. I was furious. The story wasn’t a comedic novel. It wasn’t intended to be humorous, but it had turned into a classroom of laughter. I may have just been a sensitive teenager, but it felt as though the whole room was laughing at me. It felt as though one of my biggest fears was something being taken as a joke by my closest peers. I got up and left the class.
The Overlap of Identities
In a class titled, Social Justice, we discussed some pretty touchy topics, that was the whole purpose of the class. One day, we were covering the topic of adoption. A student right next to me gave a very strong opinion against adoption. This is where a tricky line is drawn. Freedom of speech is a great thing, and we shouldn’t change our opinion because someone else may disagree with us. However, I am a child of adoption and I was sitting right next to this vocal student. She stated, “I think everyone should have their own children. It is weird that people would raise someone else’s kid. Those kids were put in the orphanage for a reason, probably something wrong with them. I wouldn’t want that child in my home. Plus, they have a lot of psychological issues”. Everything she said she was completely entitled to. But where on Earth did an 18-year-old form such strong opinions of orphans? My heart broke to think that she would think this of such a helpless class of people. And I couldn’t help but feel hurt personally. If not for my adoption I would not have lived. I did come with a lot of baggage, but I also have been able to make a difference in the lives of my family members as well as my bigger community
Adulthood Brings Perspective—but Not Perfection
College and adulthood have turned out to be far less ridicule-filled. I believe the reasoning behind this is two-fold. Amputees have more of a presence on television, and I have become more comfortable in my carbon. When I was a kid, other kids would shout out, “robot leg”, in a very negative nature. I have since been called robot leg by kids (in my adult life) and they said it in an amazed tone. I feel like people’s perspectives have changed, but then again, so has mine. As a child, I was always on the defense. Almost to the point where I became offensive. I would glare at someone who I thought may have been staring at my leg. I was so used to having to defend myself that I began to assume the worst in people.
In first grade, my teacher decided at the beginning of the year to let me explain my leg to the other students. It was like a show-and-tell, but for my artificial body part. The kids felt like they had a better understanding and were kinder. I seemed to forget this over the years and worked so hard to cover my leg. Once I decided to shed the cosmetic cover, I felt a sense of comfort. I wasn’t hiding anything anymore. I wasn’t ashamed of who I was or what I was and I think others took note. They saw confidence
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Why This Still Matters
Discrimination against disabled people might not always be obvious. Sometimes it’s in the jokes people tell. Sometimes it’s in the assumptions they make. And sometimes, it’s in policies or requests that quietly exclude us.
Discrimination in any form chips away at dignity. That’s why telling these stories—and calling it out when we see it—matters.
My Takeaway for Anyone Facing This
Stand your ground: Your needs are valid, whether it’s a prosthetic, a wheelchair, a service animal, or another form of support.
Know your rights: The Americans with Disabilities Act exists for a reason—use it.
Lead with confidence: You may not change every mind, but you can control your own narrative.
We can’t stop every ignorant comment or unfair policy, but we can make sure our voices are heard. Every time we speak up, we make it a little harder for discrimination to hide in plain sight.
