If there’s one thing that I could change about today’s society, it’s the way that people judge other’s for their differences. As a whole, we have come to dislike things that are different or unusual. For example, it’s hard to live with someone new, because they may live differently than you do. People have a tendency to turn away from things they aren’t used to or don’t understand. Because of this, people with disabilities are often treated differently and are often times not accepted by those around them, simply because they are different from people without disabilities.
As someone who naturally cares about others, I find it easy to accept others for who they are. No matter how much they differ from me, I always try to see the good in people. It’s something that I don’t even have to think twice about. In my day to day life, I try really hard to be loving and open to everyone. I’m not perfect; this can be a difficult thing to do sometimes. It’s not easy for all or even most people. It’s hard to look past something that stands out or is unlike what you’re used to.
But in order to move our society in the right direction—the path in which all people are treated equally—we must all learn to look past our differences and accept one another, regardless of what these differences may be. We don’t have to understand—although it definitely helps to be educated—but we must accept. We are all people; looking for success, love, understanding, and happiness. That doesn’t change just because someone has a disability. No person is lesser than another just because they think differently than another.
If this is something you know that you struggle with, that’s okay! But the more you learn about the people around you and their differences, the easier it is to be more accepting and welcoming. To do this, I suggest going back to basics and reading some Dr. Seuss. I know, this sounds silly. But Dr. Seuss teaches in his stories to learn and accept. For example, in “Horton Hears A Who”, we saw Horton learn to accept and love people who were much different from himself. He did this by getting to know them, and eventually seeing that even though they have their differences, they’re also very similar!
As my good friend Horton would say, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”