I heard a radio DJ proclaim that 2012 has been the best year for our country in modern times yesterday, ‘Not wanting to belittle the end of the wars and VE Day’ he said ‘2012 has been an incredible year for those of us living in the UK.’
I don’t like to speak on behalf of all disabled people, everyone disablement, effects them differently and not everyone will have the same thoughts as I do on ‘disability, but, for someone who finds herself in a minority group, as a Disabled Person, 2012 has for me been the year of realisation to others that there isn’t a gaping divide of difference between you, the able bodied folk of the world, and me.
The London 2012 Olymipic and Paralympics games highlighted this,
People saw what people with disability are capable of, that we aren’t something to be patted on the head and told we were brave anymore. We were actually just like you and in some cases more remarkable than most people could have ever have imagined.
It opened many people’s eyes to what I already knew. It was a Summer of change in attitude, an attitude that I whole heartedly believe would disintegrate and be forgotten in two months time.
People still talk about the games with affection and astonishment, instead of strangers panicking about what they should talk to me about when we first meet, they talk to me about sport, something which I hasten to say I don’t know nothing about.
I guess this is what Able bodied people experience when they make new friends; English people love to bond over two things in this country, weather and sport. It’s quite thrilling to me to have people ask about things other than my disability. I find that they don’t look at me with fear in there eyes when I say ‘hello’.
There is still a long way to go with inclusion, but 2012 has definitely been the first year I have felt a shift in attitude toward the Disabled since the Disability Discrimination Act was brought in.
I’m not saying it’s perfect, far from it. But the truth is, you’re never going to get perfect, there will always be a pocket of resistance to people like me, there will always be a small minority who believe we should be left in homes and hidden away from society.
It doesn’t matter how many fancy sporting events or Children in Need appeals are held opinions are easy to form and hard to forget, no matter how wrong they are.
So has 2012 been the best year for 2012 has been the best year for our country in modern times?
That might be a bit dramatic, but for those who are disabled… It’s been the best year yet.
