Myth: Wheelchair use is confining; people in wheelchairs are wheelchair-bound.
Fact: A wheelchair is a personal-assistance device. Like a bicycle or car, it enables someone to get around—it does not bind them to it.
Myth: People with disabilities are more comfortable with "their own kind."
Fact: In the past, grouping people with disabilities in separate schools and institutions reinforced this misconception. Today, many people with disabilities take advantage of new opportunities to join mainstream society.
Myth: The lives of people with disabilities are different from the lives of those without disabilities.
Fact: People with disabilities live similar lives as those without. They go to school, get married, work, have families, grocery shop, pay taxes, cry, laugh, etc., just as those without disabilities do.
Myth: People with disabilities always need help.
Fact: Many people with disabilities are independent.
Myth: There is nothing one person can do to help eliminate the barriers confronting people with disabilities.
Fact: Everyone can contribute to change! You can remove barriers by:
- Understanding the need for accessible parking and leaving it open for those in need
- Encouraging participation of people with disabilities in community and school activities
- Understanding children's curiosity about disabilities and people who have them
- Advocating a barrier-free environment
- Speaking up when negative words or phrases are used about disabilities
- Accepting people with disabilities as individuals with the same needs and feelings as yourself—and hire whenever possible
If you're looking for classroom resources regarding disabled students, Syracuse University has some general lesson plans available for grades 6-12. Click here to access their site.
