As I get older and try to be more independent in my day-to-day life, I want to do as much as possible on my own, mainly for the purpose of gaining experience and becoming more proficient in that skill. I do not want to be held back by whether or not an able-bodied person is near me to continue living my life and achieving the goals in the way that I want. There is a common misconception in society that the disabled are in constant need of assistance, and, while well-intentioned, that philosophy is not always true. In fact, it can even be harmful.
Understand that when a topic such as this is mentioned, disabled people, whether by physical or intellectual impairment, are people too. Not just in the literal sense, but on a metaphorical level as well, in the sense that they are still unique individuals with their own thoughts, interests, goals and desires. Those attributes should be held to the same standard as any other’s attributes of similar nature. By that logic, if someone were to offer a disabled individual assistance and it is declined, then that person should respect the decision.
This does not mean that people should stop asking the disabled if assistance is needed, rather, it just means that the disabled persons’ decisions and logic when it comes to assistance should be upheld. Essentially, when asking a disabled person, the question is not, “Do you need help?” it is, “Do you want help?” Overall, the autonomy of the impaired should be respected, even if that means widening one’s worldview.
