Intro -- Charlie Saur LO19328

d.l.dwiggins@computer.org
Tue, 22 Sep 1998 09:33:46 -0700

Replying to LO19075 --

Mnr AM de Lange writes:
> Pardon me the following metaphor. In our ordinary organisations we are all
> severly disabled people like Dan, but only on different levels.

...snip...

> Charlie, forgive me , but I must bring this issue up. I am acquainted with
> people like Dan and also some deaf or blind people. Although I have
> immense compassion for them, I always feel extremely uncomfortable with
> them, eventhough I try my best not to show it. The reason is very
> simple. I do not know enough about them because I do not have the
> esperience of a disability like their's. Thus I am forever afraid that I
> will hurt them through my ignorance. I alwaeys feel like running away and
> hide my shame.

Looking at these two paragraphs, I'd suggest that you have more experience
of disability than you realize (as do we all). Haven't you ever felt like
an outsider or a freak? How did you desire people to treat you at the
time? In such situations, I've always wanted people to respect me as
myself, not some stereotype. I think this may be the key: I am not my
disability.

On the other hand, I know the discomfort you mention -- I think it's wired
into us. Just be aware that that's your problem, not the other person's,
and deal with it as you do other feelings you can't act on.

-- 

Don Dwiggins "The truth will make you free, SEI Information Technology but first it will make you miserable" d.l.dwiggins@computer.org -- Tom DeMarco

Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>