I was lucky enough to work with handicapped people while I was in junior high school. The school had an amazing social program that allowed us to get to know them better through daily interactions. Frankly, all schools should have a program like this, because it helps get over the stigma attached to those so unlike ourselves. Here’s a great commercial that showed an experiment to help people get over their instinctual fear. I think it worked well, but I’m looking forward to the day when the costume isn’t necessary.
Pro Infirmis – Get Closer
And if you think that the stigma tears apart more than the handicapped person, then you should look at the effects it has on their family, who might not be able to or want to understand until it’s almost too late.
Silence of Love (reworked with music by GusGus007 – original here)
So, maybe now we can see how ignorance hurts more than just the victims. It hurts us all by desensitizing us to the need for our humanity. We all need more understanding in our lives.
p.s. sorry for the tears on a Monday, but it’s important. Thanks to Reddit ಥ_ಥ (again).
