Difference Days
“Life is like a box of chocolates.” This memorable line from Forrest Gump has been quoted numerous times since its first appearance in 1994. In a society where diversity and equality are fundamental, it seems we still struggle with acceptance when it comes to people’s differences. Forrest Gump has helped show us that having a disability doesn’t make you any less normal and it certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve great things in life. Our culture has a tendency to create communication barriers in our ever day interactions with disabled students. With the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Educational Statistics reporting 11% of all college students having documented disabilities, more supportive material should be made readily available to faculty, staff, and students. Furthermore, Burgstahler makes the claim, “disability stereotyping often occurs when people have a negative attitude towards students with disabilities because of their lack of knowledge.” It is through experiencing what disabled students go through on a daily basis that the negative attitudes can change and stereotypes can be broken, creating a more diversified and equal society.
Difference Days is a week of events developed to educate, inspire and unite students across college campuses.
Monday was an awareness day where students, faculty and staff were encouraged to wear either a silver ribbon, which symbolizes children with disabilities, or a colored ribbon of their choice in honor of a friend or loved one. The challenge for the day was to become “disabled” for any portion of the day. Many students put duck tape over their mouth, or switched from their dominate hand.
Tuesday night we had students, faculty and staff eat dinner together. The goal for this dinner was to help people understand that people with disabilities desire respect. I wanted people to understand that just because someone is disabled, doesn’t mean students and faculty have to speak louder or slower to people with disabilities. I also wanted the people who attended the program not to get offended when students with disabilities turn down help and learn ways students and faculty can help without even knowing it.
On Wednesday, students, faculty and staff, had the opportunity to a round table and talk about what it’s like living with a disability. To start out the round table, we had everyone take a 5th grade math quiz. About a minute in, we had someone start spraying an air freshner, then someone else started a loud beat with a drum, and finally we turned on the radio. All of these showed participants what it's like to have ADD, ADHD, and other anxiety disorders.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday had a Disabilities Awareness Challenge Course. The challenge course allowed students to attend a power soccer game, play wheelchair basketball, a 3-legged race and beep baseball.
“A rewarding life is filled with challenge: the effort creates fires that temper us and strengthen our spirit. So do not feel pity for me. Give me a chance,” says Thomas Gatu, is a Special Olympic athlete from Kenya. His words of encouragement to other athletes and those who may come in contact with people with disabilities do a great job of summarizing my topic. Today’s society stresses clichés like “don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” So why do we still stereotype those with disabilities? Learn to treat them like you would want to be treated and set the example for others, and hopefully through a better understanding of what it’s like to be disabled, we can make this a better world.
