Should People With Disabilities be Viewed Differently? by Lauryn

Should People With Disabilities be Viewed Differently? by Lauryn - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

Often there is a stigma surrounding people with disabilities. In my opinion this is one of society's greatest failures. People who suffer from these conditions should be treated the same, be given equal opportunities, and be seen as equal members of society.
I have been a long time advocate for people with disabilities. My life has been touched by disabilities since a very young age. My closest childhood friend has Spina Bifida. As a result, I have a very intimate understanding of life bound to a wheelchair. She has been a tremendous inspiration to me. Being an incredible athlete, she made the USA Paralympic track and field team and signed to play basketball at the University of Illinois at the age of 17. Her incredible success has always awed me. Since I have played basketball since I was six, I spent countless hours at her house scrimmaging on her front drive way. She even lent me one of her sports chairs and taught me how to play in a wheelchair.
During high school, I began to volunteer at a local Therapeutic Riding Center. At this facility, we offered mental and physical therapy simultaneously to children by having them ride on a horse and play games with us. My job was to walk alongside the horse, talking and playing with the child. There was one kid who came every week whom I will never forget. When he started, he could barely walk without the aid of a walker. Despite being six years old, he had never said a complete sentence. After two months of our therapy program, he was able to walk with little help. I will never forget the frigid January afternoon on his eighth week with us. He was riding his favorite horse, Sword. We approached the magnetic board with farmhouse animals on it. Starting our routine, I grabbed the pig and asked, "What does the piggy say?". Nothing, he never spoke. I tried again with the rooster. Still nothing. Suddenly, my partner began to sing a familiar tune. "Old McDonald had a farm...". We all began to pitch in and sing the recognizable song. Slowly but surely, he began to sing with us. After that moment, he regularly talked with us and completed his therapy within a month. I will never forget the impact I had on that child. He proved that selflessness can change lives.
My passion for disabled rights only grew after I was diagnosed with a plethora of mental disabilities. I have fought to be seen and treated as an equal. I understand that my life may be harder because of my conditions; however, I refuse to accept special treatment. I prefer to be given identical treatment and fight harder for what I desire. This mentality is shared with every other disabled person I've met.