Stay Disabled Despite a Cure?

ShaggyJebus · 2009-05-19T13:59:18+00:00

I used to be friends with two girls who had cerebral palsy. They were in wheelchairs 90% of the time. While they could move and feel their legs and arms, their limbs didn't work so well. They couldn't walk on their own, and they could barely eat on their own. They, of course, knew other disabled people, who I ended up meeting, and among these was a blind girl (who was legally blind but could see a little, which fucked with my head). In some conversation, my two friends and the blind chick all said that if a cure for cerebral palsy or blindness came out, they would not take it. They wouldn't be against the cure itself, and they would want it to be given to any babies that were born disabled, but they wouldn't take it themselves. Their disability was part of their identities, they said. They had lived 20+ years as disabled people, and they couldn't imagine life any other way. To me, that makes some sense, but in the end, it's a bunch of bullshit. This might sound familiar to any fans of Scrubs or House, as both series have had episodes where a disabled person refused to have his/her disability fixed. In both shows, the character was deaf and not in a wheelchair or blind, but same difference. The character refused to have the disability taken away at first but eventually decided to have it treated. After all, why would you choose to live handicapped? It may be part of your identity, but you can always create a new identity. It happens all the time. People who were fat all their lives lose weight and become thin. People who always slacked off start to work hard and become successful. Sure, learning to use your legs when you never have or seeing when you never have is a bit different, but it's still possible to change. Thoughts, opinions? If you were blind from birth (or had any other disability), and there was a cure, would you take it? If you had a friend who was disabled, and there was a readily-available cure, and your friend wouldn't take it, how would you react? What if your friend could die significantly earlier due to his disability, and he still refused to take the cure?

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ShaggyJebus

15 years ago

Damienthedevil wrote...

Yes i understand that you guys are putting yourselves in their shoes and saying you would want the cure but you also think from their point of view. They want to stay that way, so let them. The most we can do is give them advice or tell them what you think but if you just keep pestering them about it then you are just nosy not being "helpful". Even if you think you are helping them but they do not want or need the help. They want to stay that way then let them. Like i said, IT IS THEIR LIVES NOT OURS. We can imagine what it is like but we do not know for certain so let those who are in the condition to think for themselves and decide what they want to do.

The trouble is, if all disabilities could be cured, then it would be fantastic if all people agreed to be cured and horrible if not all people agreed.

As it stands, society has to take action so that disabled people have the same rights as able-bodied people. I'm not talking about the right to vote or anything, but the ability to do the same things that able-bodied people can do. If blindness can be cured (and anyone can receive the cure, regardless of age or money), then we don't have to worry about braille anymore. If people don't need to be in wheelchairs, then we don't have to worry about making buildings wheelchair-accessible.

Fiery_penguin_of_doom

15 years ago

I'm siding with waar on this one, a disease or disability doesn't define who you are, but limits your abilities. Any person who chooses to remain disabled shouldn't be treated any differently than a normal person. They are intentionally handicapping themselves from their full potential. While I personally think it is an asinine choice but, I have to respect their wishes based on my personal principals. Nobody has the "right" to force anything on anybody including treatments. You can still think they are dumber than a sack of hammers for their choice.

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