The Ripple Effects of Accommodating Others

The fact that the world is not equipped for individuals who possess any kind of disability is a common, yet unfortunate, cliche amongst all disability communities that regrettably rings remarkably true in the year 2022. This post would be chapters long if I were to reiterate each and every time, I have encountered vague traces of ableism throughout my daily existence for the past 22 years, to you–so, for the sake of keeping this post somewhat brief, I’ll spare you the semantics. But the issue remains pertinent in the fact that my situation is far from unique. There are thousands, if not millions, of young adults and children who are having to figure out how to navigate a world with so many metaphorical, but mostly physical, obstacles in their path.

Everything from inaccessible shops to parks and beaches, all serve as gentle, inadvertent reminders that disabled people are not welcome there. And if I’m being honest, it is something that becomes extremely disheartening to witness after a certain number of occurrences.

At the heart of its mission, SMILE Mass is looking to eradicate that mindset by granting disabled people the tools and extra resources that they need to belong somewhere–specifically, I’m sure you guessed it, with the expansion of their “Community within a Community – Club SMILE Mass” program. For those of you who are at all familiar with SMILE Mass’ mission, know that one of the focal points of the organization is to facilitate body movement and body health amongst all its members. To further propel this mission along, Club SMILE plans to add biking and kayaking programs to their list of offered activities in order to cater to more members with a variety of strength and recreational skill levels.

There is plenty of research available to support the fact that moving around is so beneficial to so many different aspects of your body, but if you’re anything like me you would probably roll your eyes and say, “Yeah, right!” Because it is extremely easy to sit in your weakness and blame your body, or disability, for the reason why you can’t do something. It is much harder to try. And I know for me, when I have had occupational and physical therapy in the past, I’m not only getting stronger but my mindset is also so much better. Because in gaining strength, I’m not only gaining muscle mass but independence. And that feeling of being able to do a task for yourself for the first time is a feeling that is incredibly underrated and worth every second of hard work. SMILE Mass believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to gain strength and independence, because it not only fosters a space for disabled people to merely exist but to thrive. Because when you accommodate others you show them their worth to you.

Until next time, always remember to make today a great day!