Hey Everyody,
What is your opinion on disabled people? Do you think their "retarded"? Do you help them out? Do you care? Or do you just walk on by like their air? At my school, disabled people are really looked down on. People call them retards. Pick on them, ect. Others act like they don't care and that they are just dust in the wind. I think it's totally unfair and unceptable. This behavior needs to stop NOW! Even the teachers treat them unfairly... Is this right? What is your view?
-Sunset

In my neighborhood, there are two boys who are/were in special education. I don't know what their disability is, but they have totally different situations.

One, who is my age, has a generally mean disposition, yells at people, and bosses around complete strangers. This might have to do with his disorder, I don't know. But I don't think he has many friends- not b/c of his disability, b/c he is downright mean!

The other, a few years older than me, is so nice. I think his brain works fine, just a little more slowly, but his head is disformed and he has trouble with speach. He has tons of friends. When he was in high school, everyone knew him, he was one of the most popular people in his graduating class. The only problem that I have with him is that when he talks I have to listen really hard to get half of what he says.

Anyways, that had no point, I guess I'm just saying that sometimes the handicapped are judged more on their personality than their problems.

I know this will sound like really stupid, but i watched nanny 911 last night. They were going to the Sil-Cock household and they take care of disabled kids from all around the world and a boy has CP. He was so sweet but was left alone in his room. Only his parents had much to do with him.

well i personally treat everyone the same regardless of who they are, most disabled people were born that way and they have no choice, and granted if i do walk past one i dont say hi unless i know htem, they're people and i dont say hi to everyone i walk past, but if they need help ill help them or if they say hi ill say hi, or if they smile at me ill smile back

my boyfriend is in a wheelchair. when he was born the ubilical cord was wrapped around his neck, and all sorts of complications resulted; the most obvious, his inability to walk. it's hard sometimes because half of the people look at me like i'm a horrible person because i don't hold doors or help him load his chair into his truck (yes, he can drive. as well as just as, if not more than the average person.)but the truth is, he doesn't want help. he likes to do these things on his own, not only to prove to others he can do it, but to prove it to himself. the other half of people look at me with pity. i hate that the most. they feel bad for him. he is the stongest person i know- he doesn't need anyones pity. but these things don't matter.

as far as the mentally disabled, i'll admit, i feel uncomfortable sometimes. i'm always nice, but i always feel like i'm doing something wrong?

OH, And thanks everybody for your great replies! I appreciate it! God Bless you all,
-Sunset

Oh, wow. That's sooo sad... I don't use the word "retard." I get made fun of a lot. Because I have a brain deffect. I'm not stupid or anything. It's just that it's anxiety and stuff. I've tried to commit suicide and stuff, and I was just asking what you all thought of special people. I also had a friend that was considered a "retard." She was really nice, she just had problems with talking and walking. (It took her awhile to say words and she walked with a bad limp)She was made fun of, and she got really depressed, it's like people think that other people that are special don't have feelings... God. Walk in there shoes sometime. God Bless,
-Sunset

My cousin is disabled. It's sad, and dissapointing that he wont be able to live a normal life. Kids are always going to be calling him a retard. If you put yourself in their shoes for a day, I think you would really feel like ****. They have as much feelings as we do.

-Nicole
P.S.- Joey u are so hott.

I knew someone, who their cousin had a learning disability and people kept calling him "retard" and stuff untill one day he just couldn't take it, and commited suicide. I don't use that word anymore.

well, i never really know what to say to them, i do feel sort of uncomfortable, but i'm always nice-some people make fun of them an i tell them them not to, but it doesnt really make a diffrence. and my friends always call eachother "retard" which i really don't get, an then i yell at them an tell them thatz really mean and dont do that, some of them stop but some of them dont.
an all our teachers are really nice to them.
it was really sweet, a few days ago these comedy/trick basketball players came 2 our school(theyre called the harlem all-stars if u've heard of them) and one spent the whole time just talkin 2 this boy in a wheelchair, it was really sweet!

As one who has suffered through the "Disabled" label,I have a seizure disorder,I think people are afraid to deal with disabled people.They often don't know how to treat us. It's easy,treat a person with any disorder as you yourself want to be treated.My seizures started after a sledding accident.So to all who would belittle and insult the disabled,I want to remind you, that, you just never know,someday that label might land on you.Disabled are human too,and deserve to be treated just like you.

I don't know any disabled people, so I wouldn't know aht to think of them, But I would sure love to meet one, I have no idea why.

There are some people in wheelchairs at my school(for whatever reason i dunno)but they are like speed demons! they run over your feet...and like knock you down..but hey i cant blame them...i would do it too..hehe

I admitt, i have a hard time talking to people who are mentally handicapped. There's a boy at my school named Kyle. He's really nice, has a sense of humor, but is mentally handicapped to the point of being confined to a wheelchair, no verbal skills beyond sign language. I don't pity him, although i wish that he could have a choice to be unbound by fate.

I know a few people who have CP, and they're some of the most interesting people ever. One of the guys, who has a mild case of CP, comes every year to read for the drama 1 and 2 people, and you'd never guess he had CP unless you watched him walk.

How i deal with people with handicaps: i treat them like i would anyone else (and, except for the few people i know, i pass everyone like they're nothing but air. It's not that i'm mean, it's just that i'd hate to be stared at). I say hi to them, if i know them.

People worry about how to treat someone different, but, really, everyone's a lot alike.

"Luann" (a comic strip, recommended): I'm not handicapped, i'm alternately advantaged!"

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True. Once I was out with my brother and this one kid came up to me and asked, "Is he even alive?" What kind of question is that? Kids can be so cruel.

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Yes, they can be cruel, I just try to remind myself that they're just kids.
One of my neighboors has a son who is also paralyzed from his waist down, the child goes around walking with his hands on the ground and pulling his legs behing him. He used to be in our garden all of the time, but we were just so scared that he might go under one of the cars and then accidentally get run over. We always gave him candy and stuff...wonder what happended to him...
Anyways, even though we had no problem with him coming to our house, I think that his parents should've taken better care of him, for his sake.

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Yes, many of them are looked down upon.

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True. Once I was out with my brother and this one kid came up to me and asked, "Is he even alive?" What kind of question is that? Kids can be so cruel.

Yes, many of them are looked down upon. I use to hang out with this girl that was paralyzed from her waist down and who had to be on a wheel chair. Me and my friend always had lunch with her and we wheeled her to the special ed class after lunch, people would always look at us weird, or actually try to avoid looking at us, as if it was wrong what we were doing or they didn't know how to react to it. Weird.

Can't say I'm medically disabled, but you can kinda get a picture:





http://www.joeydauben.com/DC.htm

lol

My mom runs a nursing home, and I volunteer around there. Now, those are elderly people and not exactly what you're talking about, but they're great once you get to know them. Except when I have to dance w/ them at polka hour. Then they're evil. Joking. And the sad thing is, it's not just the nursing home that has polka hour...it's our local radio station. *shakes head* sad, sad world.