The passage of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was a positive step in helping those living with disabilities, but it in no way cures the suffering they face every day. While the ADA made discrimination against the disabled illegal, it has not been able to fix everything the disabled have to go through or feel. There are still a lot of issues that are there for those with disabilities. Nancy Mairs is one of those people as she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at twenty-eight years old. In her essay “On Being a Cripple”, she writes, “People- crippled or not- wince at the word “cripple”... Perhaps I want them to wince. I want them to see me as a tough customer… who can face the brutal truth of existence squarely.” The choice of cripple
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The images of the “perfect” car, house, vacation, job or family is something almost all people want if they are being honest. It is really hard for anyone to change their images and adjust to reality. Ms. Mairs says that she learned over time “that one never really finishes adjusting to MS.” Being able to adjust to a life where you are unable to do what you want when you want and the way you want to is part of living with a disability. In his speech on the day the ADA was signed into law, President Bush declared that “every man, woman and child with a disability can now pass through once closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence and freedom.” Ms. Mairs was able to use the accommodations that the ADA put into place like handicapped parking, elevators in her building, chairs in fitting rooms, and transportation that is accessible and this let her able to do some of the things she wanted to do. The ADA, however, was not able to cure her, make her symptoms any better, or help her walk without a cane. What it has helped her and others with disabilities with is the adjustments they have been forced to make because of their disabilities. While they may never get used to the changes they need to make every day because of their disability or disease, the ADA does as much as a law can do to help ease their
The images of the “perfect” car, house, vacation, job or family is something almost all people want if they are being honest. It is really hard for anyone to change their images and adjust to reality. Ms. Mairs says that she learned over time “that one never really finishes adjusting to MS.” Being able to adjust to a life where you are unable to do what you want when you want and the way you want to is part of living with a disability. In his speech on the day the ADA was signed into law, President Bush declared that “every man, woman and child with a disability can now pass through once closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence and freedom.” Ms. Mairs was able to use the accommodations that the ADA put into place like handicapped parking, elevators in her building, chairs in fitting rooms, and transportation that is accessible and this let her able to do some of the things she wanted to do. The ADA, however, was not able to cure her, make her symptoms any better, or help her walk without a cane. What it has helped her and others with disabilities with is the adjustments they have been forced to make because of their disabilities. While they may never get used to the changes they need to make every day because of their disability or disease, the ADA does as much as a law can do to help ease their