Heroes: Big and Small 1 | Page 21

Finally, you can help fight this issue by you treating them just the same as anyone else. An article states, “To be human: What does this phrase mean to those of us engaged in the myriad details of living? We wake, wipe the sleep from our eyes, and go about our days. Sometimes with success, and sometimes without, we engage with others. We love. We yearn for “better.” Whatever we look like, no matter what language we speak or where we live, we simply are” (Speraw, 2009, p.1). Everyone including disabled people fit under this definition of “human”. Disabled people are human and they deserve to be treated as one. I also read another book related to this topic, Out of My Mind. Out of My Mind is about a very smart girl named Melody who has cerebral palsy and is unable to tell everyone how smart she is. The book states, ““Oh, gag me!” Mrs. V said, startling him. “Don’t get bogged down in all those touchy-feely words and phrases you read in books on disabled kids. Melody is a child who can learn and will learn if she sticks with me!”” (Draper, 2010, p.41). Mrs. V helps Melody to show the world who she really is. Mrs. V treated Melody just like anyone one else and believed in her. Mrs. V was just a normal person. You may be “normal” or “average” but you can still treat disabled people the same as you would others.

These are just three of many simple ways you can help fight discrimination and judgement of disabled individuals. You can help by becoming more informed about disabled people, saying something when someone says something negative about them, or you can treat disabled people normally. It isn’t too difficult to make a difference. I regret not standing up to the woman who was saying rude things about my grandfather. Don’t make the mistake I did, stand up and help fight the discrimination.