Judging disability

Judging others is generally seen as a bad thing to do.

It may be a surprise to the non-disabled community that we who are disabled, when we cross each other, tend to judge each other's disability.  It's not really in a bad way.

With my disability, my dexterity is quite affected.  Handwriting is hard for me...and it is not very legible.  Drinking from a cup or glass is difficult for me because of how my hands shake.  I can't button a shirt.  I probably could not drive your car.

When I need to take notes, I use a computer, a recorder, or I have someone take notes for me.  I chug my coffee and water through a straw.  I use a tool called a buttoner to button my shirts, though anymore I rarely wear a shirt that requires buttoning.  I drive a Sprinter van..an automatic with a steering knob.

I walk with some difficulty, but with my walker for shorter distances and my scooter for longer distances, I manage to get to where I need to go,

When I see another disabled person, I want to figure out what their disability is, what their challenges are, and how they have overcome them.

The Paralympic 2012 Games are on in London right now.  For those who may not know, it is Olympic games for people with disabilities.  Thank you Wheelie Catholic for the updates.

I came across this article in the New York Times that discusses how paralympians have their disability judged prior to going to the Paralympics to see what classification they will compete under.

What struck me in this article is how each sport has their own set of classifications.  Athletes can appeal their own classification if they think it's too high, or their opponents classification if they think it is too low.

Once classed, some of the athletes practice so hard and become so good at their event that other competitors believe that they should be in a higher classification.

Then there are 245 athletes who are classified as borderline, which means they could be classed high in one classification, or low in the next.

Judge not lest you be judged, unless you are a paralympian, where you are judged first so you can be properly judged later.