Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally

by Emily Ladau

A video of a paralyzed person getting out of a wheelchair for the first dance at their wedding reception will melt people into a puddle. A video of a person with Down syndrome getting a high school diploma brings tears to people’s eyes. Why? Because of a deeply held stigmatizing belief that disability holds people back from a full life.

Am I inspired because someone with a disability actually did something truly inspiring, or does this feeling stem from ableist ideas about disabled people?