by Kristen Bennett

Created on: April 25, 2008

My Year of Growth
By Kristen Bennett

I began my job at the Western New York Independent Living Inc., an agency that is largely run by peers and individuals with a disability of one kind or another, about a year ago. That's right; this amazing agency is run by individuals with a wide range of "disabilities", a term I have grown to strongly dislike. It may sound clich to say "disabilities" but if you cross out the "dis" and focus on "abilities", what we CAN do is limitless, as evidenced daily by every single person I work with who has touched my heart and inspired my soul in their own unique and special way.

I have worked in the Mental Health Field for quite some time now, in addition to being an individual with a Mental Health Diagnosis. Working in the Mental Health department is second nature to me, yet, working with individuals with a physical disability proved to be a little more difficult in the beginning. I now work with individuals who are visually impaired, deaf and hard of hearing, individuals in wheelchairs and individuals who utilize a cane to assist them with walking. Some might be missing an arm or a leg; some might use a Seeing Eye dog to help them around hallways and offices, none of which stops this inspirational "family," as I've come to know them, from achieving their goals.

I admit to having had some anxiety on dealing with certain situations that may come up for individuals who have a physical disability. I recall sneaking around a blind person because I did not know if it was appropriate to say,

"I'm in front of you, turn towards your left".

I remember thinking that I can't say this, because I don't like being told what to do, so why would this person want me telling them what to do? Why was I having all this anxiety? I felt that if I did not say anything the person will walk into me and I felt quite certain they would not appreciate that. In the end it was all truly ignorant on my part because I wasn't aware of what is or is not appropriate in this kind of situation. I knew with time that I would learn, I just never realized how much this journey of growth and learning would mean to me.

When I look back on these situations, I find it ridiculous of me to sneak past a blind person instead of saying,

"Good Morning, I am in front of you".

My job includes fighting for individuals with a mental health diagnosis to be treated like equals; yet, I was not able to do that for the physically disabled. What was I so afraid of?

Just this month I had the pleasure

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