Comments on: Sightings http://transabled.org/early-memories/sightings.htm Talking about Body Integrity Identity Disorder - Just another disability! Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:50:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7-beta2 hourly 1 By: Lucien http://transabled.org/early-memories/sightings.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5011 Lucien Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:12:35 +0000 http://transabled.org/early-memories/sightings.htm#comment-5011 Hmmm. That could very well be what the majority of people walking away from that thought. I do believe that being fully dependent is an awful thing. Can't push the wheelchair where you want it to go, can't see properly, can't sit up and stay up, no dexterity, eat baby food because you can't chew, can't talk coherently, can barely hear well enough even with hearing aids. I saw how he went about his business: he didn't, not really. His caretaker did most everything. But, I still wanted to be him, in some ways. Ways like the wheelchair, no leg control, maybe a little deaf (embarrassing side note: the diaper). Now that I think about it, he might have had multiple sclerosis or something like that. Very sobering. Hmmm. That could very well be what the majority of people walking away from that thought. I do believe that being fully dependent is an awful thing. Can’t push the wheelchair where you want it to go, can’t see properly, can’t sit up and stay up, no dexterity, eat baby food because you can’t chew, can’t talk coherently, can barely hear well enough even with hearing aids. I saw how he went about his business: he didn’t, not really. His caretaker did most everything. But, I still wanted to be him, in some ways. Ways like the wheelchair, no leg control, maybe a little deaf (embarrassing side note: the diaper). Now that I think about it, he might have had multiple sclerosis or something like that. Very sobering.

]]> By: Sean http://transabled.org/early-memories/sightings.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5003 Sean Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:03:40 +0000 http://transabled.org/early-memories/sightings.htm#comment-5003 Thanks Lucien, Interestingly enough, studies have shown that disability awareness of the type you describe (putting people in a wheelchair, or with blindfolds, etc) is actually counter productive, because people end up feeling sorry for folks with disabilities... Interesting that you report feeling that, partly :) Thanks Lucien,

Interestingly enough, studies have shown that disability awareness of the type you describe (putting people in a wheelchair, or with blindfolds, etc) is actually counter productive, because people end up feeling sorry for folks with disabilities… Interesting that you report feeling that, partly :)

]]> By: Lucien http://transabled.org/early-memories/sightings.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5002 Lucien Mon, 16 Jul 2007 05:10:05 +0000 http://transabled.org/early-memories/sightings.htm#comment-5002 My earliest sighting was when I was very young, maybe 5. I went to school at Collier Elem in Tucson, and there was this boy who had multiple disabilities who needed a wheelchair. It just happened to be that, in order for us to be more understanding of him, the staff had every class in the school have a short tour. That was my first awareness of limited muscle control, semi-blindness, full dependency of a caretaker, and others. We had to wear a mask-thing covering our vision (it offered a very fuzzy look), and were seat belted in an odd fashion (like the kind in some baby car chairs, 2 straps going down connected between the legs at the groin), as well as our feet strapped to the footrests. After it happened, I was trying to pick out the different feelings I had. I felt sorry for him, but at the same time, wanted to experience it again and again. I wanted to be like that, even before I knew what it was I was sitting in, what it was called to not be able to see properly. Well, there's my (not-so) brief first sighting. My earliest sighting was when I was very young, maybe 5. I went to school at Collier Elem in Tucson, and there was this boy who had multiple disabilities who needed a wheelchair. It just happened to be that, in order for us to be more understanding of him, the staff had every class in the school have a short tour. That was my first awareness of limited muscle control, semi-blindness, full dependency of a caretaker, and others. We had to wear a mask-thing covering our vision (it offered a very fuzzy look), and were seat belted in an odd fashion (like the kind in some baby car chairs, 2 straps going down connected between the legs at the groin), as well as our feet strapped to the footrests. After it happened, I was trying to pick out the different feelings I had. I felt sorry for him, but at the same time, wanted to experience it again and again. I wanted to be like that, even before I knew what it was I was sitting in, what it was called to not be able to see properly. Well, there’s my (not-so) brief first sighting.

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