disability jam

Disability Jam

Let's say there are two blind men in my living room. Finally the
repairmen are here to fix the blinds my cat destroyed. Blinds are
found on windows. Two men who are blind refer to people. If there
are two people who are blind in the living room, how many cats
are in the room? Zero -- Both men have guide dogs.

Now there's a deaf girl in the kitchen. She ignores you. Say
there is a girl who is deaf in the kitchen. She glares at you.
She's a grown woman. If there is a woman who is deaf in the
kitchen, how many people are there? Two -- She has an interpreter
with her. That's how she knows what you are saying.

Now we are in a meeting with seven people and three wheelchairs.
How many people are in the room? Ten -- There are people sitting
in those wheelchair. That's why they are in the room.

Say there are three wheelchair bound people in a room. Call 911!
It's illegal to tie people to wheelchairs.

Now we see a person who is blind, a woman who is deaf, a man in a
wheelchair and a teen with autism. How many service dogs are in
the room? Four -- The person who is blind has a Seeing Eye dog.
The woman who is deaf has a Hearing Dog. The man in a wheelchair
uses a Mobility Assistance Dog. The teen with autism has an
Autism Assistance Dog.

Let's say there is a Muslim woman who is blind. How many guide
dogs are in the room? Zero -- Islamic law prohibits Muslims from
having dogs. This woman uses a specially trained miniature pony.
I kid you not.

Say there is a man in a wheelchair who is quadriplegic. What kind
of dog does he have? None -- He uses a Helping Hands Monkey
Helper.

So there are five people in the room, and you say they all look
normal. How many have disabilities? Five -- One is hard of
hearing. Another has low vision. The third has a learning
disability. The next person has a mental illness. The last one
has a health impairment. These are all types of invisible
disabilities.

What if there are 100 people in an auditorium and none have
disabilities. How many are normal? None -- What is normal,
anyway?

Angie C. Orlando
May 2015