Changing the Word Disability to Diversability

On my last visit with patti we met with our friend Suiri for quite a bit. I got to read her this blog. I read her the one about my summer program with Patti nd she really liked it! She wanted to tell more of her friends about so that made me feel really good that she was interested in it. The one thing she suggested though is for me to change the word disability to diversability. Siri and a few other peaple in Invermere are creating a movement to change the wording. We want people to look at us as people that are just a little diffrent than everybody, with some special needs, but stiil able to dp anything we want to contribute to ociety and to make our owbn dreams come true. I think this is great! When I meet someone, i alwaysa want to show them all the things that I am capable of, instead of making them think I am a poor weak little girl in a wheekchair and I cant do anything, because thats not tru. I can do anything I want and I will never give up. Thkis doen't just go for physical chalenges but learning chalenges as well. People with Autism or Down Syndorome have some trouble grasping the concept of some things, but that dooesn't mean they can't learn new things. It just means they have to take a little extra time working at them. They have to take things step by step, whitch is something we all should do. We should never rush while learning so ething new. We should tale our time so we learn it even better and so we can have a bigger celebration when we have learned it. So, Siri gave me thisa sheet that states the reasons why the name is changed. I will di a bit odf advertising and copying off the sheet. Therew ate only eight reasons, not ten, sao this bloog will be a bit shorter thann my top ten blogs, whitch might be good because you guys don't have to read as longf! Okay, here we go. Here are the eight reasons for changing the name disability to Diversibility and why it will make the world a better place for all of usa! 1. "The wrd disability is associated with the past and people's negative experiences with institutions. Let's focus on the abilities of people now and in the future. " That's right! Nobody should be put down for want they cant do. They should be pulled up for what they can doI dont like it when people see me in my chair and they think I can't do much. I liketo show people what I'm made of! Have patience and let us show you exactly what we can do. I promise, you will be impressed. You might just learn something new too! 2 "Adopting this word will give the power back to all people with diversabilities" Yes. We do have a lot more power than people think we do. We have the powere to make the world a better place for everybody, not just people with Diversabilities. The ramps and things people build in stores, they arnt just for us, they're for everybody. A wheelchair ramp can be used for mothers who are with babies in stollers. Irt makes it so they don't have to carry a squirmy baby into the store. They can be in there . Seniors have an easier time with ramps. Ramps are just one example of the thing that Diverse people need that makes things easier for everbody. The more we work together and make our communitities accessible to all, the happier we all will be! 3. "If you break down the word disability you get "not able". If you break down the word diversability, you get diffrent but ABLE." This is kind of like number statement number one. Just because peapele with diversabilities have some challenges does not mean that they cant do much. We can do a lot. It might take us extra time but we can do it! Never underestimate anyone! You'll be amazed at what some people can teach you! 4. "People with Diversabilities have they same goals and aspirations as every other person" People with diversabilities wont let anything stop them from being all they can be. I know that I have many of the same goalls as everybody else. I want to go to univesity. I want to have a job. I want to get married. I want to have kids. I want to have as fufilling a life as possible. Grace, she's wants to go to school to become an occupational Therapist. She's not letting her diffrences stop her. Everybody has goals. I will go as far as I can to get where I want to be. Everyone needs to have goals and we should never give up on them, no many what challenges we may face. Lets go forth and face our challenges one step at a time. 5. "By chosing the word diversability instead of disability we change the expectations of peaple with diversabilities into a positive" Whith every negitive thing comes a positive. I've told you many times that I have accepted my diversability and aall the positive things that go along with it. I can walk. I can talk. I'm not in pain. I'm not in a hospital bed. I can do almost everything. I just need extra help. I would not change who I am! There are so many positive things about my life that I can't even fathom them. 6. "In our future, we would like to be recongnized for our strenghts as opposed to our weaknesses. This will make a better life for all" People with Divesabilities don'tlike to be thought of as people who cant do a lot, pr can't do a lot well. We like to be recongnized for all of our strenghs. People with diversities can do some preety amazing things. Terry Fox walked across canada with cancer and with one amputated leg. Rick Hansen did it in a wheelchair. Grace can do so many thigs despite her challenges, you wouldn't belive. I like to try new things every day. Everybody has there own talents. They can be physical talents, like running reallt fast. Some can be emontial, like always being able to make someone feel better. Some can be inspiring like, like a diverse person showing eveybody what there made of. We all have talents. Sometimes they just take a while longer to find. I think, the longer the better because the harder you search for it, the stronger it will be. 7. " Because of Diversability, with the right help and support, we can accomplish whatever we want. So dream BIG!" Everybody needs to have some