I was talking with someone who suggested this cartoon idea. I’m not an artist, but taking a little inspiration from OneFTE, I went ahead and "drew" this.
Cartoon
Cartoon Description
The cartoon shows two people talking together. The conversation goes like this:
Person 1: Amputees are an ugly sight. They should stay at home.
Person 2: There go Sarah Bernhart and Admiral Lord Nelson.
Person 1: People in wheelchairs should live in nursing homes.
Person 2: There go Stephen Hawking and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Person 1: The blind should live in their own institutions.
Person 2: There go Stevie Wonder and Helen Keller.
Person 1: The deaf should not be mixing with us.
Person 2: There goes Beethoven. Oh! And Helen Keller again.
Person 1: The mentally ill would be better off in psychiatric hospitals.
Person 2: There go Robin Williams, Buzz Aldrin and Winston Churchill
Person 1: Suddenly, I feel very lonely…
Update: A response from OneFTE
I shared this comic with Stuart from OneFTE.com and he came back with one of his own. He gave me permission to post it here.
Two people talking. One is a barista making a coffee for the other.
Person 1: They should send all people with disabilities somewhere so we don’t have to cater for their needs wherever we go.
Person 2: When they add ignorance to that list, who’s going to make my coffee?
There is a caption reading: “IGNORANCE. There is no greater disability”
I’ve heard a variation of the first line most of my life.
Unfortunately, too many people of influence in my early years associated a physical disability with an intellectual disability.
It limited my own expectations of what I could achieve.
Through perseverance, some wonderful support, and commitment to public service, I had the opportunity to grow into a level of confidence and expertise that has opened some doors a bit wider.
I’ve outlived most of those stereotypes and proven them wrong. Archaic attitudes are still something I face regularly.
Sadly, it is some the younger generation, obsessed with perfection, that will be the next barrier.
Recently overheard: “People like that shouldn’t be allowed out” from some teeny-boppers as I went into a convenience store.
Sad.
Hey Steve, it is unfortunate indeed.
I’ve been told to my face “I pay taxes so people like you can be in nursing homes”…
*shrug*
Good one, Nic. I would also add Rachmaninof to the bunch for mental illness. :-)
Ahh Elisabeth, there are *so* many names that could be added to that list. Too many :)
Great cartoons. The ignorance one cracked me up. :)
BTW I am constantly fascinated by the (to me) equalizing effect of Twitter. I am clueless about the disabilities my Twitter friends/followers have unless they explicitly state something. I wish those with prejudices would learn to be as blind as Twitter, so to speak. They are also the real losers – they have no idea what great insights and friendships they are missing!
Ha – I love the ‘Ignorance: There is no greater disability’ line. Will remember that one! Simple but effective.
Comment to the second cartoon: One can cure ignorance by education. It’s hard but not impossible. Arrogance, on the other hand, is almost impossible. I would say arrogance/bad attitude is the greatest disability.