Attitudes

Reading the message board, it is apparent that people's perceptions of disabilities are a big issue. Before Christian was injured, I really don't think I had much awareness of what a person in a chair could or could not do. I probably couldn't have explained the difference between a para and a quad, unless I put my (mostly forgotten) high school Latin to use. I paid little attention to those in wheelchairs, after all--it's not polite to stare; although, I certainly would have offered assistance if it seemed necessary. I was just one of those uneducated people.

When I landed on the incredible learning curve, it suddenly became important for me to not only study for myself, but also to teach everyone I knew. I felt it was vital for people to understand that Christian would make the most of his abilities. He was an athlete and he would remain an athlete. Sometimes people would look at me in a way that was clear they thought I was deluding myself, but I could always reference Rick Hansen. Thank goodness for Rick. There's a man who has done some serious edifying.

Soon after the accident, a colleague of Peter's (and family friend) came to visit Christian in the hospital. Christian was still flat on his back--had not been allowed to sit up yet. Jack, an accomplished mountain climber, tossed a pair of spring loaded hand exercisers onto the bed and suggested that Christian get to work. I still remember Christian's smile, realizing that this man recognized his potential.

On the other hand, there are people like my dad, who turned eighty that year. He was in the dark ages when it came to SCIs. He lived in Winnipeg at that time, and when I phoned to give him the news I believe he thought it meant that Christian would have to be institutionalized. When I assured Dad that this was not the case, he probably imagined that Christian would spend the rest of his life living at home with us; wasting away his days in his bedroom and getting wheeled around the park on Sundays! In all fairness, my father quickly grasped that this was not the case. Before he died, no grandfather could have been more proud of his grandson or more willing to boast of his accomplishments.

What I'm trying to say is that everyone needs to learn, including the person who suddenly finds themselves in a wheelchair. It is the responsibility for those of us who have some knowledge to share it good-naturedly and tolerantly. As I am sure Rick Hansen would attest, we have come a long way in the past thirty years, and we still have a long way to go.