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If you have a disability, you've probably had to correct a few stereotypes and assumptions about your experience. We're talking about disabilities, accommodations and independence on the latest Read. Talk. Grow. episode: "A dog, a disability, and a journey to independence." Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode summary: Stephen Kuusisto has been blind since birth, and he didn’t grow up in a time (or household) that accepted or accommodated his disability. Later in life, he partnered up with a guide dog, Corky, which opened up doors for greater adventure and independence. We discuss his memoir “Have Dog, Will Travel,” guide dogs, stereotypes about blindness and more with Stephen and Mayo Clinic expert Dr. Brittni Scruggs.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discussed:
- “Blind” may not mean what you think it does. People often have very stereotypical ideas of what it means to be blind, Stephen says. But blindness does not necessarily mean 100% absence of vision. And some people who are blind live quite independently, perhaps using aids such as dogs and assistive technology.
- Dignity in acknowledging disability. When Stephen was growing up, disability was seen as a terrible misfortune. His parents didn't provide any assistance or accommodations for his disability. This resulted in a “very small life,” he says; he didn’t know how to live independently — or even how to ask for help. Getting appropriate accommodations and assistance only increased his sense of dignity.
- The logistics of a seeing-eye dog. Guide dogs to aid with blindness are great (and free!) but they still require a lot of effort. Attending a training school to learn how to work with a dog takes time and support. As Stephen says, “You have to become a six-legged creature,” and that’s not for everyone!
Questions for discussion:
- Do you have a disability or a frequently stereotyped health condition? What do you wish people understood about your experience?
Share your thoughts, questions and opinions below!
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I wish that people who see me wouldn't assume that my physical disability is an indication of mental disability.
My speech, memory, and reasoning ability are just fine. Probably better than theirs, in fact.
Whether waiters or doctors, far too many times people have talked to my wife instead of me, like I'm an imbecile who can't answer simple questions.
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4 ReactionsWhat do you think it is about our culture that creates this response? I agree that it’s so common and wonder how we can work to change this bias.
Maybe books can help? We talked with author Laurie Frankel about her book One Two Three. We focused on Monday who has autism, but she has another character who she describes this way:
“ Mirabel is the smartest person anyone knows, and no one doubts it just because she can’t speak”
It’s an incredible world that she builds that accommodates everyone and doesn’t make these painful, erroneous assumptions. Maybe we could hope to shift our modern world to one more inclusive?
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2 ReactionsIt is certainly an interesting point.
During my lifetime, I have many attempts at making a cultural shift away from stereotypes. TV and movies were built on stereotypes -- Irish cops, frugal Scots, romantic Frenchmen, "inscrutable" Asians, etc.
I thought we had gotten past most of that, and perhaps we have in some ways.
But the snap judgment of disabled people persists. In some ways it's gotten worse; our political polarization is so extreme that anyone who shows any sign of being "one of them" is condemned on the spot. That lack of empathy extends quickly to other areas, like disability.
In my own case, there's an interesting counterpoint. People who talk to me on the phone are shocked when they see me and discover how limited my mobility is. On the phone, or even in my YouTube videos, I sound pretty normal and even articulate. It isn't until I move, or try to use my right arm, that people see how affected I am by the stroke.
I suppose that even reading my posts on Connect, people don't realize that I can only type one-handed; writing is arduous.
Anyway, there's a group in Dallas, To Be Like Me, that offers sensitivity training, mostly to schoolkids, giving them insight into what it's like to have certain disabilities. That's a start!
Have you seen my YouTube channel, From Recovery to Discovery?
Please take a look.
http://www.youtube.com/@srlucado/videos
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1 ReactionThank you, Scott. I have not - but will check it out!
Sounds like To Be Like Me (or similar) should be experienced by everyone - though starting with school children is a good beginning.
We are always hoping that the discussions on Read.Talk.Grow will raise awareness and provide a platform to discuss health and conditions that affect health.
We do have an upcoming episode focused on a character who has had and is recovering from a stroke based on Tracey Lange's January 2025 release "What Happened to the McCrae's?"
https://traceylange.com/
It was a great conversation with a stroke neurologist expert guest. Hope you will check it out!
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3 ReactionsThank you. I'll take a look later today!
By the way, in January I'll be addressing the staff at a local rehab hospital. They're interested in learning more about the patient's view of recovery/rehab.
Last year, I talked to grad students at Texas Christian University here in Fort Worth, for the same purpose. (Audio of the talk is on my YouTube channel.)
I'm hoping I'll get more such invitations.