Students have been urged throughout the years to challenge themselves mentally in a classroom setting. However, many of these students suffer from a disability that prevents them from preforming at peak excellence. Those who suffer from such impairments are at a risk of falling victim to low expectations from their teachers and peers. Contradictory to popular beliefs, mentally challenged people have the potential to meet and even exceed the presumptions of their colleagues; it is their learning environment that prevents these children from preforming at their highest level of intelligence. By lowering our expectations for students, we are depriving them of a proper education and hindering their mental growth rather than progressing it. It is
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Over the years, there have been examples of truly inspirational disabled people who reshaped the opinions of mentally and physically challenged people. Disabled community activist and cerebral palsy survivor Bonner Paddock has committed his life to testing his limits. His dedication has pushed him to face incredible feats such as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and competing in the Iron Man triathlon. Paddock’s mentality shows others that “we have a choice in our lives; we can be content with where we are, or we can set goals and continue to push ourselves beyond our limits” (Paddock). Despite his critical condition, Paddock’s commitment to the disabled community has led him to start his own foundation that works towards raising awareness for people with similar illnesses (Paddock). In accordance, well known physicist Stephen Hawkings learned to embrace his disability and use it to further his persistence regarding his work with radiation and black holes. His view of life is similar to Paddock’s in which they both believe that life is short and must be lived to the fullest. Many people look up to Hawking’s abilities and intelligence despite his severe case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (bio.com). Intelligence goes beyond book smarts; “it is the ability to adapt to change” (Hawkings). Both
Over the years, there have been examples of truly inspirational disabled people who reshaped the opinions of mentally and physically challenged people. Disabled community activist and cerebral palsy survivor Bonner Paddock has committed his life to testing his limits. His dedication has pushed him to face incredible feats such as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and competing in the Iron Man triathlon. Paddock’s mentality shows others that “we have a choice in our lives; we can be content with where we are, or we can set goals and continue to push ourselves beyond our limits” (Paddock). Despite his critical condition, Paddock’s commitment to the disabled community has led him to start his own foundation that works towards raising awareness for people with similar illnesses (Paddock). In accordance, well known physicist Stephen Hawkings learned to embrace his disability and use it to further his persistence regarding his work with radiation and black holes. His view of life is similar to Paddock’s in which they both believe that life is short and must be lived to the fullest. Many people look up to Hawking’s abilities and intelligence despite his severe case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (bio.com). Intelligence goes beyond book smarts; “it is the ability to adapt to change” (Hawkings). Both