That nearly everyone misses is my strength. When you see a woman who is thin and uses a power wheelchair, you don’t usually think there’s a strong woman. But wheelchair users have strength beyond able bodied folks. We’ve had to deal emotionally with things that scare the able bodied so much that they become uncomfortable when they see us. The discomfort stems from the subconscious knowledge that they could be us in a split second. We’ve had to become okay with our own mortality and the fact that we aren’t indestructible. We might not be physically strong, but emotionally, we are the strongest people you’ll ever meet if you’re not too afraid to speak directly to us. We are judged by the able as being weak and sad. They think that we should just stay locked away so they don’t have to be confronted with their own fear. They judge us as unable to talk or unable to discuss things on their level . Even though one of the smartest people to have recently lived, Stephen Hawking, was a wheelchair user. Wheelchair users differ from each other just as much as able bodied people differ from other able bodied people. And shockingly, we may have some of the same interests as you do. But you’d never know it if you’re too afraid to get to know us. For instance, I love the ballet, the theater, stand-up comedy, drag shows, and going to concerts. Even with the judgemental or horrified looks, I get. I’m strong enough to know that your fear is not my problem.
