In my sociology class, two individuals reveal their inner feeling on what it's like to be a disabled individual. They noted that there are often misconceptions of their aptitude and misconstrued ideas about their skills. One of the speakers was a girl, Olga, physically altered by the Chernobyl Nuclear accident in Russia . Olga explained to the class that she can text, eat, swim, and just about anything else a typical teenager can do. Undoubtedly, her bubbly personality masked her disability in a way that revealed her amiable attributes. Further, she said that she doesn't want to be viewed as a girl incapable of carrying out everyday tasks. And she feels that education other will counteract discrimination. They second speaker, Ryan, felt much the same way and added that he doesn't want people to feel sorry for him; he wants to be views as an equal. Ryan, who has cerebral palsy, also encouraged people to ask questions. He says it's a “conversation starter to meet new people, girls in particular.” By listening to both Olga and Ryan, I realized that we are all the same.

Despite some differences, disabled individuals can function like you and me. They can brush their teeth and comb their hair, feed themselves and learn. We, as a populace, must look past the differences and see from within. Whether a person is a man or a woman, black or white, Asia or Indian, Jewish or Muslim, Christian or Buddhist, short or tall, right-handed or left-handed, disabled or not, we are all so similar. Society must recognize the similarities among us, and lean more of people different from ourselves. Deep down inside, within our DNA, we are ninety-nine point nine percent the same, and I believe we should remember that.