Writer, comedian, and advocate Stella young, talks about how being disabled does not make you exceptional. In reality they are just ordinary people, living ordinary lives.
She starts off by talking about how as a child she was asked to be nominated for a community achievement award for simple things, that would "not be considered achievements if you took disability out of the equation." She further on explains how society classifies disabled people as "objects of inspiration," and claims that the idea of disability being a bad thing, is a flat-out lie.
We live in a society where it is not normal to find disabled people as our "teachers, or our doctors, or our manicurist, we are not real people," she says. She is right, we consider them as our motivation. They are often used to remind the majority of individuals that their lives aren't as bad as they could be.
I have to admit, I have also looked towards them in this way. In the very beginning of this talk I was expecting her to inspire me before I even knew her story. I, myself have been lied to, but watching this video has lead me to believe that disabled people are capable of doing much more than what society expects from them.
Stella has a completely different outlook on her life. I think that's what really drew me in to her talk was the fact that she stood their talking from personal experience out of complete honesty. I really stopped and imagined myself in her shoes and came to the conclusion that if that were me I would want to be valued equally.
What I find interesting about Stella is even though she spoke completely against inspiration, she still inspired the audience unintentionally in a way. At least, I was inspired to be aware of how I view others.
She starts off by talking about how as a child she was asked to be nominated for a community achievement award for simple things, that would "not be considered achievements if you took disability out of the equation." She further on explains how society classifies disabled people as "objects of inspiration," and claims that the idea of disability being a bad thing, is a flat-out lie.
We live in a society where it is not normal to find disabled people as our "teachers, or our doctors, or our manicurist, we are not real people," she says. She is right, we consider them as our motivation. They are often used to remind the majority of individuals that their lives aren't as bad as they could be.
I have to admit, I have also looked towards them in this way. In the very beginning of this talk I was expecting her to inspire me before I even knew her story. I, myself have been lied to, but watching this video has lead me to believe that disabled people are capable of doing much more than what society expects from them.
Stella has a completely different outlook on her life. I think that's what really drew me in to her talk was the fact that she stood their talking from personal experience out of complete honesty. I really stopped and imagined myself in her shoes and came to the conclusion that if that were me I would want to be valued equally.
What I find interesting about Stella is even though she spoke completely against inspiration, she still inspired the audience unintentionally in a way. At least, I was inspired to be aware of how I view others.