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| Ella hands Ava a crayon; she helps... |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
A man. A vision. A preparation for people of all races, all creeds, all abilities.
I read an article this morning about MLK Day and People with Disabilities (known as PWD). It dawned on me that Ella lives in a world that has moved forward in recognizing the talents, skills, and accomplishments of those stricken with a disability.
I remember, when I was a child, looking around and seeing where the sidewalk meets the curb at the intersection and how it is graded at an angle to allow for wheelchair access. I can remember when society began making those everywhere. I didn't pay much attention to them then, I thought to myself, "Oh, that's nice.", and went on with my own child-like business.
I recall working at Jewel as a teenager and seeing the management hiring people with disabilities; I thought to myself, "Oh, that's nice.", and went on with my assigned duties.
I look back, to a time when I was a younger man, at the life of my late sister, Julia, who endured a 25 year battle with Hodgkin Disease, Breast Cancer, and compromised lung capacity (due to radiation and chemotherapy). I witnessed how the world developed more and more services, opportunities, and acceptance of those struggling with disease. I also become acutely aware of the frustration and challenges my sister, among others, had to deal with in their courageous lives. I admired her strength as well as the strength of her husband as they dealt with challenges on a daily basis.
My focus has now been directed to my own immediate family. I see, firsthand, the daily battle my 19-month old engages in to get through her day. I see the loving care that her sister and brother, Ava and Henry, only 4 and 3 respectively, shower upon her in a way that preserves her integrity and respect.
I no longer glance past the sidewalk grades, the employed people who happen to have a disability, or the many services, opportunities, and acceptance that the world has to offer. I am engaged in them. It is in this engagement that I feel I will find the "meshing" of two worlds Lindsay spoke of in an earlier post. It is in this engagement that I find how the passion of Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke for more than equal rights for African Americans; his passion rang for all people, of all walks of life, in all situations. His passion and vision was meant, I believe, as a call for all of us to be kind, fair, and loving toward each other.
I no longer glance past the sidewalk grades, the employed people who happen to have a disability, or the many services, opportunities, and acceptance that the world has to offer. I am engaged in them. It is in this engagement that I feel I will find the "meshing" of two worlds Lindsay spoke of in an earlier post. It is in this engagement that I find how the passion of Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke for more than equal rights for African Americans; his passion rang for all people, of all walks of life, in all situations. His passion and vision was meant, I believe, as a call for all of us to be kind, fair, and loving toward each other.
Ella is a fortunate person. She is bright, lovable, intelligent. She has already learned so many ways of compensating for her disability. She is surrounded by love, care, acceptance, and opportunity. She can help others, she can make a difference, she can be all that God intended her to be.
There will be a day when we can have a conversation with Ella. A conversation that will allow her to know Martin Luther King, Jr.; his dream, his vision, his passion. A conversation that will uplift her past the awful disease her body has and to a place where she can stand tall.
The article I read is linked below:
Service and People With Disabilities: An MLK Day Commentary by Martina Robinson , Disability Examiner
