Member since: 9/21/2007
In a public setting, let's say a mall or a park, a child might see a person who is in a wheelchair or scooter. What does that child really see? Often the parent steers their child away. It's not polite to stare. Stay out of the way. Leave them alone. It's almost as if the child sees something they're not supposed to see. What is wrong with that person? Why can't I look? Will it happen to me? Ah, the innocence of children. Left on their own, the child sees something less sinister. Of course, the child whose sibling or parent has a disability has an entirely different attitude. However, the child with no personal reference base sees a host of possibilities and questions out of innocence and curiosity rather than preconceived notions:
Children can also be quite thoughtful and empathetic. My granddaughter, just seven, offered to teach me to walk - "It's not hard," she said. And my grandson said I should just try, and I could lean on him if I was afraid I would fall.
Our children need to learn that wheelers -- and all people with disabilities -- are just ordinary people. There may be some who want to be left alone or are on a schedule. There are some, however, who have time and are willing to answer questions and share experiences -- just like uprights* (*A person who can stand and move in an upright position).
Surely there are ways to teach our next generation about disability without depending on a chance encounter. Two excellent web sites are below:
Kids' Quest is a great site to help better understand life with a disability in the easy format of a quest for many types of disabilities. The quest takes this opportunity to enhance Internet skills and learn at the same time. This is my favorite so far. Mormon Chic has a good article trying to bring children a step closer to understanding disabilities. Along the sidebar are tips for use when encountering a disabled person such as:
Great post..I'm actually writing/researching right now for a post on an event I did yesterday to raise awareness for kids about people with disabilities...I hope you'll check out my blog (in about an hour! LOL!).
Thanks for the website links! I agree it's important to teach children about people with disabilities, instead of just scolding them not to stare.
the cartoon is cute :)
i've noticed the boys seem to be intrigued by the mechanics of the wheels, and the girls usually are all about the cosmetics
Thanks for visiting.
Kara, I did check out your post, enjoyed the story and left a note.
Emily, If we teach the kids, they’ll grow up, teach their kids, and one day everyone will understand. How nice that will be.
Stacey, Yes, I like the cartoon, too. My caregiver / sweetheart, Garry, created that for me. I plan to add more as new topics come up.
Debbie, I use a scooter most of the time so the wheels aren’t as interesting. They all like the controls – I have now learned to turn off the key when talking to little ones with busy hands.
i re-read your post, i love how your granddaughter told you she'd teach you how to walk! kids are great :)
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