WHAT THE WORD DISABLED MEANS TO ME

WHAT IS IN THE WORD?

By: Derek Varsalona

I have heard all the words before.  Gimpy, disabled, disability.  I have heard all of these words before growing up with a disability.  The very definition of a gimp is a person with a leg injury or a limp.  Cerebral Palsy affects my mobility so i walk with a limp.  But I am much more than a gimp.  Although I am a disabled adult I am very much able to surpass my disability.  The word of disabled is defined as an injury that limits ability.  But people say  I am disabled but I certainly do not feel disabled.  I prefer the term mentally and physically challenged.  Although I have shortcomings this so-called disability does not define who or what I am as a person.  Another bad word that society likes to define me is that of the disabled.  The very meaning of the word is not able.  But although I am not able body I am not defined by my disability or lack of ability.

I think the worse is being called a gimp.  That is someone with a leg injury.  Cerebral Palsy affects my gate and ability to walk without a limp to some extent.  But My limp is not what defines me.  I push through.  I am able to surpass many things that most people without disabilities can do.  I am able to swim at least 108 laps in a 50-meter Olympics-sized 50-meter swimming pool on an average workout.  Most able-bodied people even athletic people do not even fathom swimming that many laps as a daily workout.  The term gimp did not stop me from competing ins sports with other able-bodied people.  When I played basketball in the Boys Basketball League of Rockville Centre I was on 7 championship teams in 8 years.  No rings but yes many trophies.  On a side note, I lead the league in fouls for eight consecutive years. 

Let us look at the term disable.  That very term means to injure that limits my ability.  My disability prevents me from driving in the sense I can not drive a car.  But I do drive, I drive people crazy with my constant political views on my blog and podcast on a daily and nightly basis.  If anything that hurt me was my short-term memory loss.  But that disability is my great superpower.  With Short-term Memory loss, I am able to have selective memory.  I can choose what is important to me and store it in my long-term memory and selectively forget the things in the short term that I do not deem important so watch out world.

Now, let us look at the word disability.  Disability is defined as a person having a physical or mental impairment that limits movements, senses, or activities.  I have overcome my disability.  Yes, I do have limitations.  I can not work a full-time job as of yet so part-time work is proper for me.  I can not drive other than drive people crazy.    but I can do many other things that most able-bodied people can not do, look at the example of being able to swim over 100 laps on any given day with Cerebral Palsy.  Society likes to make up words that define us.  Do not let those words define you.  As always comments accepted.