What would you like people to know about your disability?

Never assume anything about a persons disability, if someone is in a wheel chair, it does not mean they can't do things for themselves, and if someone can't talk does not mean they can't communicate.

And just because you can't see a person's disability, does not mean they don't have one, e.g. Dyslexia, hearing impaired or learning difficulty.

Learning about a person disability, not only gives way to a better understanding, about the impact or difficulties it may have on the persons life.

Thank you for doing this. Disabilities are not well understood by the general public in this country. People with MS get arrested for public intoxication when they haven't been drinking; people in wheelchairs have to travel long distances out of the way to use rest rooms; people with mental illness get told to pull themselves up by the bootstraps. My only known disability is that I can't do marriage (I am of the opinion that everyone has some type of disability, however minor), but it's sure frustrating to hear the wisecracks people make about limitations people with disabilities have. The best of everything to you.

I am a person , my disabilities, such as they are, both visible and invisible play a part in who I am but do not define me. I'm not intellectually impaired, deaf or have mental health problems , all persons with disabilities do not have all the disabilities in the world because they have one or two. I earned my bachelor degrees, just like everyone else. I wasn't given a special needs ba.

I worked when I could work and I worked hard. I'm not a piker because I collect odsp, my health has deteriorated and if I didn't have to be on it I wouldn't be. Frankly I'm appreciative we have disability support pensions in Ontario, they aren't easy to get.

I'm tiring of the myths and mis-statements about disability on this section and frankly in society. As a commercial for the private broadcasters in Canada says , Disabled people are able too, open your minds.

My husband's disability is visible. When he was injured on his 3rd tour in Vietnam and spent 14 months in the hospital,it took along time for him to adjust with his disability both mentally and physically. He shakes uncontrollably, can't think straight, and though he should be in a wheelchair he fights to keep his legs and to walk as much as he can. My husband has a heart of gold and along with him and other disabled Veterans, they take in and help the Vets today that are coming back and help to show them that life isn't over that there is still alot of good they can do. Along with living with the pain of war, you can cope and be an example for those that need encouragement. Because though you come back home not the same as when you left, because now you have a disability to live with it can be done. There are alot of great older Vets out there that really help the younger Vets today know that giving up is not an option. So this is something positive that comes out from war, are guys and gals like my husband that despite their pain everyday, they reach out and are a valuable asset to our country.

I like this question alot....Well first I would like to say that I have scoliosis..I want people to know that they should teach their children to treat people the same..no matter what..disability or not...I want people to know that staring at a person because they have a disability is cruel...Its better to read a book to learn more than to look at a person like they are a circus freak...

I am a human being first and foremost..and I deserve the same respect that you give a person without a disability..

I do have abilities...I am not stupid...I will not break if you tap me by mistake...I am not fragile..I am not to be made fun of..or stared at...or joked about...I have feelings..I have dreams...I can love...I can get married..I can hang out with friends...I should be happy..I pay bills...I have gained and lost things in my life...I have a man in my life that I love...I am a person...

Did you also know that depression and anxiety disorders are disabilities too? They call it mental illness but even mental illness is a disability. Just because we don't wear our disability on the outside, doesn't mean it's not there. I also have a problem with some spelling and grammer and I get picked on from other people from yahoo questions about it. Not in this room but the other rooms. I belong to a drop in center for people with different kinds of disabilities. Even the ones that you can't see on the outside. This drop in center is where people like you and me go and enjoy ourselves. Meet and talk to people just like us. This is a place where discrimination does not exist. By the way. You get to do arts and craft for free and you don't have to do good at it. They have ceramics you can paint. I'd love to tell you more but I don't know where you are from but go on the internet and type in drop in centers for ? then you type in your state and see if they have it. I don't think that you're b*****ing about anything. I see your point and that's why where all here anyways. We are all looking for answers and some of us are here just to help out a stranger so to speak. Anyway, just look it up. Who knows? they might have it in your area because these drop in centers are planted throughout the United States. They are here for people with mental and or physical disabilies. They are not limited.

Speech impairment does not always effect intellectual ability

I don't like contact (if it is a part of my disability)

And please don't repeatably say to me keep my eye on the ball in sport. Because even when I watch the ball I still make a miss of it.

It takes me longer to do thing and when I spill thing everyday

it makes my place hard to clean

And I would like my neigbour to know having a disability mean I need more rest.

But most people when I say what my disability is have not heard of it

Dyspraxia and many mix it up with Dyslexia

Having what they love to call one of those lovely "orphan" diseases, one of the ones that little is known about, and very hard to detect, I've grown up being the klutz and went through hight school always being the kid nobody wanted on their team and falling over my own two feet, and spraining every part of my body. It wasn't until I was 48 years old that I finally got a diagnosis, as I started to tear all my ligaments and started to have operation after operation and none of them worked, each just tore again. When I finally came up with what I thought was a diagnosis the doctor I was going to laughed me out of his office. I had diagnosised myself, with the help of some family members who worked in the medical field as having Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, it's the disease that the rubber men in the circus have. My doctor of that moment told me that as I wasn't in the circus I should just forget about it. Luckily I went to another doctor who took one look at me and told me that was what I had, and I found an organization who sent me info that verified it, and I was no longer a klutz, but someone with a serious disease, who needed to have the original operations re-done correctly, and am still working on it. I can't walk as it has effected my back, and my spine swings free, and I spend a lot of time in and out of the hospital, but it does effect the skin and make you look younger, so nobody ever thinks I'm sick and can't really get behind it that I'm as sick as I am because I look about 10 to 15 years younger than I am and on good days I can get around just like anyone else.

I understand how hard it is for all of you, sometimes I wish I looked sick so people would understand, I'm sick, but too often people think it's a scam. Don't you ever just want to trade bodies for a day for two????

That disabilities aren't all or nothing. If it were 'all' you'd be dead. We are trying, despite whatever limitations, to have the best life we can with what we have working.

When I have a really bad day and my back can only take me so far and it hurts worse to sit, but I have to go to the store and pharmacy, I use my handicapped plackard.

Every little bit helps, but I must not look the 'picture' of a disabled person people want to see, so I get dirty looks.

If I had to climb in my vehicle, drive all the way there, walk however far in the Wal-Mart parking lot, then around the store, I woudn't make it or I'd be out of commission the next day. It's all about maintaining, not regressing.

Parking closer allows me to do this, and the more steps I eliminate in my day, the more 'life' I can put there and STAY abled, not become more disabled.

It really bothers me. I've had so many rude comments and looks from people for parking in handicapped spaces. Even "You don't look handicapped!" I never know what to say. What gives them the right to say anything?

They see you as a easy prey for their anger; why? To cause shame I guess.

A friend told me she says "Oh, thank you!". Good answer.

Why they presume to know what is inside my body and mind from a quick glance, I don't understand.

Also, those that say just don't let it bother you...don't say that either. It just doesn't help. Makes me feel weaker for letting it bother me, which is human.

The card says you are not supposed to drive with it hanging in the rearview window, so I put mine up when I park, and take it down. I've had people point, honk and follow me to tell me to get out of that space, before I"ve had a chance to

finish parking and hang it up.

People, please consider the best scenario before you instantly assume worst.

Have kindness and love for your fellow man before hate over who gets to park closer.

Don't pity, don't judge, and don't ever tell chronic pain suffers they need to 'suck' it up. Perhaps their pain tolerance is way, way beyond yours, and they've sucked it up for years.

Just accept them. You don't have to experience it yourself to know what it's like, or accept that it is. That is arrogance.

Don't judge by what you see.

If they look like they feel fine, they may be handling the pain better; don't assume they should be able to do what you do.

When they are in intense pain, don't tell them to toughen up.

Sometimes we feel we just can't win.

Just be supportive.

I wish people would be open to the possibility of persons that have emotional or mental illnesses. For years I was very quiet about my problems but now.. I'm more open about it as a result of circumstance more so than anything. I'd prefer to have just left it alone and kept it my business; however... be that as it may, I wish people would be more accepting and realise that PWD's aren't necessarily people with visual ailments. There's people with heart problems, stroke victims, emotional illnesses, PTSD (think of our soliders returning from Iraq- that support carries over here, as well), people with acute Irritable Bowel Disease, Chron's Disease.... oh, my poor motehr who has had three spinal fusions but doesnt look a day over 45...

It's really sad and sick to know that people truly beleive that PWD's are only those in teh population that are wheelcahir bound.

I feel sad for them that they cannot seem to get past their own lack of education and closemindedness.