Touchy, touchy, touchy…

I admit it. I am a little ‘touchy’ when it comes to comments made about people who have disabilities, especially children. I have three; and love them with all I am. Imagine that children similar to your child were talked about adversely in public every week. That’s 52 times each year and 520 times by the time she or he is 10 years old. After about 100 times, it’s hard to stay composed…you know, “blow it off.”  

I’m not touchy, I just love my children. I want you to know them by name and know who they are, not what they have. Do you refer to those who have cancer by calling them “cancerous” people? Of course not. That’s disrespectful. Cancer is a disease and does not describe who someone is. So, why do we call people “autistic”, “retarded” or “disabled”? It is not who they are. People who have disabilities are people first. Take time to know the person. Find out what their name is. Don’t focus on what they have. It’s only a medical diagnosis.

One in five Americans has a disability. You could join that group any day. It just takes a car accident or fall on the winter ice. How would you like to be treated? I would like to called Traci; not “retarded” or something else.

Take time to know people…all people.  You will be blessed. I have been.

Traci Castles
Family Voices in Oklahoma
Okvoices.org

“The difference between the right word and almost right word
Is the difference between lightening and the lightening bug.”
—Mark Twain