Disability Life Narrative And Exile By G. Thomas Couser Sparknotes

Personally, the section of G. Thomas Couser’s piece, Disability, Life Narrative, and Represention that truly made an impression on me was on page 456, when he writes “Although it is as fundamental an aspect of human diversity as race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, it is rarely acknowledged as such.” I was almost unsettled after reading this statement, as I realized that I myself fall into the vast population that is essentially uniformed about disability. Just because those with a disability have a physical or mental “impairment,” by no means does that make them substantially that different than any other human being. When I think about other minority groups, whether it be in regards to race, sexuality, or gender, I have a common view that “people are people” and that’s it. However, reading this piece served as a great breakthrough for me as I realized that I, in fact, did not look at people with disabilities in this manor, but rather as a group that I felt unfortunately had to deal with an everyday burden in their lives. However, after rereading this line a few times and pondering over it for quite a few minutes, I discovered that although they may have a disability, that …show more content…
I realized that they are not people who deal with a burden, rather that they are powerful human beings who face an everyday struggle, yet continue to persevere. Being disabled does not mean poor quality of life. Being disabled does not mean incapable. I was astounded by some of the various remarks made by strangers to Harriet McBryde Johnson because of her congenital disease. Although these statements may have been said with good intention, it is obvious that they come across as demeaning and ignorant. Consequently, I was able to reflect on my own interactions with people who face various disabilities and make a note of my future actions as