Woman forces stepdaughter to wear dowdy thrift store clothes as punishment for bullying

[loyalsister]

224. Working within the disability community

Last edited Wed May 22, 2013, 07:08 PM - Edit history (1)

to provide some of the education you have identified, in the form you have identified, we have learned many lessons.
When you put a blindfold on a ten yr. old to try to teach compassion they are playful with it. When you ask a nondisabled person to use a wheelchair they are also playful trying to learn how to jump curb cuts, etc.
We have learned that it is more useful to find where we meet. It is difficult for many people to do things physically even when it's not identified as a disability. ie Being taller or shorter than average. Being left handed....
I meant to add that I do not use a wheelchair. I use the universal disability symbol because disability is part of my identity even though mine is not visible. One thing that taught me a lot was when I broke my ankle and it was hard to use stairs and open doors. I understood how it felt, but I didn't feel pity.

When someone can go back to the way things were, it does not always teach the lessons one hopes.
I think it might have been more useful for her to learn about what they have in common.
Suppose they were encouraged to communicate anonymously about something specific and they learns they have more in common than they expected. I just think it would be a better lesson to teach her that the girl who gets her clothes from the thrift store is not defective. There is nothing so wrong with being poor that it should generate pity.
I think there's a fine line between pity and compassion. Pity is condescending. I know I and my friends who have disabilities do not welcome it