I think we are talking about different things here. I believe that a person can be said to have a fulfilling life if he or she has tried to do the best he or she can. The results are not really relevant. This is the same whether a person is disabled or not. But if we are talking about changing the perception of society towards people with disability then we need to compete in mainstream society and excel. I feel that a "compassionate" view of achievements of a person with disability only reinforces the stereotype. And by the way, I am enjoying this discussion because it is not often that I get the opportunity to think about this kind of stuff and also get to know how other people perceive this very important issue.
Rahul 2010/1/28 Subramani L <lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in> > Again I don't question the accuracy of your argument, but if someone is > limited in some ways by his/her disability they overcome it either > through other's support or by their own extraordinary efforts. You can't > say Beethoven has not lead a fulfilling life because he was unable to > experience the beauty of his own compositions. Or for that matter, you > can't dismiss Eric Vihenmire (forgive the spelling), for not having > enjoyed the breathtaking view standing on top of Mt Everest. These are > ways of overcoming disability too, though not in the way it is normally > perceived. If we keep putting disability in front of them, as if it is > an insurmountable barrier (or at least that is how the argument would > sound to someone desperate to prove those who doubt his abilities), are > we not guilty of breaking whatever little confidence they may have? > Don't you think that we need to take a compassionate view of a person's > accomplishment rather than taking the "right" view? (hey Rajesh I am > trying to raise questions in order to keep the argument healthier, am > sorry if you think this is offensive in any way. Also believe this is > not deemed off topic or excessive, since these viewpoints clarify how as > persons with disabilities we regard ourselves). > Subramani > > > -----Original Message----- > From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in > [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, > Rajesh > Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 4:26 PM > To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in > Subject: Re: [AI] DISABILITY OVERCOME > > Well Subramani, > I am not objecting calling excellent as excellent, but disability is > overcome when either a person does something which that particular > disability prevents her from doing, or when she/he leads a fulfilling > life in the general parlance. > Spade may be called spade and not a saw. > So, we may say that an autistic person is a memory wizard or something > else, however, saying that he has overcome his disability connotes that > his life is fulfilling according to generally accepted yardstics, which > more often than not, is not the case. > Let me hasten to add that a fulfilling life, though a subjective concept > does include some essential experiences and pleasures without which it > may justly be said to be lopsided or unfulfilling. > > > Regards > > "Perhaps our role on this planet is not to worship God-- but to create > Him." > > --Arthur C. Clarke > > (Rajesh Asudani) > > Assistant General Manager, > Reserve Bank of India > Nagpur > 09420397185 > O: 0712 2806676 > Res: 0712 2591349 > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in > [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Subramani L > Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 3:23 PM > To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in > Subject: Re: [AI] DISABILITY OVERCOME > > Sorry Rajesh. I always approved your comments on many topics, but here I > guess there is no harm in saying a person is excellent if he/she is > indeed excellent.Considering the odds the person is against, the > accomplishment is great. The scientific facts that you have given is > beyond question, but if you go by that standard you can not call Albert > Einstein a great scientist since he seems to have had very different > brain formation and also is an autistic person. > > Subramani > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in > [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, > Rajesh > Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:10 AM > To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in > Subject: Re: [AI] DISABILITY OVERCOME > > Okay, these may surely inspire some, but calling them disability > overcome is a bit misplaced, me thinks. > > Autism sometimes manifests in such modes as to give one particular > faculty an over development. > So, saying that a person has lived a fulfilling life based on exemplary > performance in one domain is not justified. > It also sends wrong signals regarding abilities of all autistic or > disabled persons in general. > Disability is being overcome in day to day lives by thousands of people > without making news headlines. > The case where performance is abnormal should be reported as such and > not as disability overcome. > Rajesh > > -----Original Message----- > From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in > [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of rahul > cherian > Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 10:56 PM > To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in > Subject: Re: [AI] DISABILITY OVERCOME > > Very Inspiring stories. My favorite is the one about Wagner who broke > the > world record for speed. That accomplishment seems unimaginable. > > > > 2010/1/26 Saravanan Ramadoss <saravanan.ramado...@gmail.com> > > > > > Subject: DISABILITY OVERCOME > > > > A man born blind and diagnosed with autism at age 5 is proving to the > > > > world that his disabilities will never limit him from achieving > > > > greatness. > > > > Tony DeBlois has an amazing story. At only two years old, Tony played > > > > "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on a small organ that his mother > > > > had bought at a yard sale. It shocked his mother, who knew that her > > > > son's mental abilities were affected in some way. It was later > > > > determined that Tony possesses a rare mind and is considered to be a > > > > musical savant. > > > > Tony attended the Perkins School for the Blind in Massachusetts where > > > > he took lessons and learned to play many of the instruments in his > > > > incredible repertoire. Tony's mother noticed that he was having > > > > difficulty with motor skills when doing simple tasks. So she taught > > > > him how to brush his teeth by asking him to pretend that he was > > > > playing the violin. He learned to brush his hair by playing the drums. > > > > Eventually, he was awarded a scholarship to the Berklee School of > > > > Music and later graduated summa cum laude. While he is very humble > > > > about his education and his talents, he is referred to as a prodigious > > > > savant, essentially an autistic genius. Considering the circumstances, > > > > it would be difficult to disagree. > > > > DeBlois, now 36 years old, can play a total of 22 instruments, leads > > > > a jazz band, and has recorded 6 CDs of his work. > > > > To access the original article, please go to > > > > > > > http://www.enterprisenews.com/lifestyle/x1672004061/Musician-proves-blin > dness-autism-are-no-barriers-to-success > > > > ********* > > > > Kim Peek is probably a man that few have heard of before. As obscure > > > > as his name may be, he was actually the inspiration for Dustin > > > > Hoffman's autistic savant character in the award-winning1988 movie, > > > > Rain Man. Mr. Peek recently passed away at the age of 58. > > > > Peek was truly an incredible man. While he himself was not an > > > > autistic savant, his brain harbored abnormalities which made it > > > > function very similarly to someone with that mental condition. Like > > > > many in his position, he possessed a fascinating mind, capable of > > > > operating at very high levels in certain fields. In Mr. Peek's case, > > > > his memory was other worldly. > > > > When he was nine months old, doctors felt that he was so mentally > > > > retarded that he would hardly be able to walk, let alone function in > > > > any normal capacity. However, at just six years old, he had memorized > > > > the first eight volumes of a set of encyclopedias owned by his family. > > > > At fourteen, he had completed a high school curriculum with the help > > > > of a private tutor. > > > > Peek was able to read a book two pages at a time, one with each eye. > > > > With this skill, he reportedly read nearly twelve thousand volumes in > > > > his lifetime. Even more amazing was that he could remember everything > > > > he read. "Mr. Peek had memorized so many Shakespearean plays and > > > > musical compositions and was such a stickler for accuracy, his father > > > > said, that they had to stop attending performances because he would > > > > stand up and correct the actors or the musicians. "He'd stand up > > > > and say: 'Wait a minute! The trombone is two notes off,' " Fran > > > > Peek said." > > > > Peek also knew all of the area and zip codes in the United States and > > > > could recite all of the television stations serving those areas. He > > > > would also memorize the maps in the front of phone books and was able > > > > to give directions in any major U.S. city with staggering detail. He > > > > could also identify hundreds of classical music compositions and give > > > > details about the tonality in each, as well as delving into stunning > > > > detail regarding the biographical information of the composer. > > > > Kim Peek was the definition of amazing. A man who doctors predicted > > > > would hardly walk ended up possessing one of the most amazing minds > > > > for facts and the arts that we've ever known. He is truly an > > > > inspiration to anyone who was dealt a challenge from the start. > > > > To read the original article, please go to > > > > http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/us/27peek.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2 > > > > ******** > > > > Back in October of 2009, an amazing record was set by Hein Wagner, a > > > > blind motivational speaker. Wagner, a daredevil at heart, has set the > > > > world record for the fastest speed ever driven in an automobile by a > > > > blind person. > > > > In 2005, Wagner set the record in a Maserati Grand Sport and was able > > > > to sustain a speed of 167 miles per hour during that time. However, > > > > not entirely satisfied, Wagner wanted to go bigger and hit that 200 > > > > mile per hour milestone that every extreme driver dreams about. > > > > With the help of a brand new Mercedes Benz SL65 Black Series, which > > > > has a twin turbo V12 engine producing a staggering 661 horsepower, > > > > Wagner was able to reach his goal. Representatives from Guinness World > > > > Records were on hand to confirm this momentous occasion. In order to > > > > hold the record, Wagner needed to sustain his speed for no less than > > > > one thousand meters. With his co-driver at his side, Wagner > > > > accomplished this multiple times with a sustained speed of 200.4 miles > > > > per hour on the tarmac of a South African airport. At that speed, his > > > > car was traveling the equivalent of one football field per second. > > > > Traveling at those speeds is no easy task for a sighted person. By > > > > not allowing his disability to hinder his goals, Wagner put his foot > > > > to the floor and raced into the record books. > > > > To read the original article, please go to > > > > > > > http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/blind-man-sets-a-world-speed-recor > d-at-over-200-mph-in-a-mercedes-sl65-amg-black-series-ar80105.html > > > > ******* > > > > Geoff Holt is no ordinary sailor. The 42 year old man just completed > > > > a trip that few people can lay claim to. Geoff sailed solo across the > > > > Atlantic Ocean from Lanzarote to the British Virgin Islands, arriving > > > > on December 10, 2009. Oh, and Geoff is a quadriplegic. > > > > Geoff was paralyzed 25 years ago when diving into shallow water and > > > > has been relegated to a wheelchair ever since. In 2007, he became the > > > > first quadriplegic to sail around Britain. However, having sailed > > > > across the Atlantic prior to his accident, he decided to return, > > > > sailing his now-incorrectly named boat "Impossible Dream". By > > > > using a series of hydraulic winches, Geoff was able to control the > > > > boat as any able bodied person would. Despite the fact that he > > > > experienced engine troubles and terribly light winds during portions > > > > of his trip, he made it to the Virgin Islands unscathed and with an > > > > irremovable smile on his face. > > > > Mr. Holt now holds the record for being the only quadriplegic to > > > > complete this particular journey and his sheer determination and > > > > unwavering drive to complete his goal will serve as an inspiration to > > > > anyone with or without sea legs. > > > > To access the original article, please go to > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/8445668.stm > > > > ******* > > > > SCIENCE > > > > During the summer of 2008, 12 sighted and 12 visually impaired > > > > students with the Grand Canyon Youth program participated in an > > > > acoustic research study done in Grand Canyon National Park to > > > > determine the makeup and possible deterioration of the surrounding > > > > soundscape. Essentially, a soundscape is the combination of natural > > > > and man-made sounds that can be heard in different places throughout > > > > the park. Teamed up in pairs of sighted and visually impaired > > > > students, the groups used a series of hand signals to communicate back > > > > and forth. The visually impaired students would use their heightened > > > > sense of hearing to gather acoustic data and then relay that data to > > > > their sighted partner using those hand signals. The study is the first > > > > of its kind it that area due to the otherwise costly and time > > > > consuming effort it would require. > > > > The blind students reported hearing natural sounds like the river, > > > > thunder storms in the distance, rocks falling, even insect chirps. > > > > They also heard airplane propellers, jets, and helicopters. > > > > While this survey may seem unnecessary to some, it's important to > > > > have this data to measure the amount of noise pollution that is > > > > affecting natural soundscapes. By using visually impaired students, > > > > they can become a seriously important part of the research being done > > > > in the national park and have the opportunity to learn about > > > > soundscape preservation and how much it affects the entire experience > > > > someone would have when going through the park. The project went so > > > > well, that they planned another in the summer of 2009 and will most > > > > likely continue to work with the Grand Canyon Youth again in 2010. > > > > To access the original article, please go to > > > > http://www.nature.nps.gov/ParkScience/index.cfm?Page=1 > > > > ******* > > > > ______ > > Please feel free to pass your comments, feedbacks & new ideas to the > > below menntioned contact details. > > Email: > > saravanan.ramado...@gmail.com > > saravanan_2...@hotmail.com > > ******* > > The harder the conflicts, the more glorious the triumph - Thomas > Paine. > > True friendship consists not inn multitude of friends, but in their > worth > > and value - Ben Jonson. > > ###### > > Adieu. > > Saravanan.R > > $$$$$$$$$ > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.inwith the subject unsubscribe. > > > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > > please visit the list home page at > > > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n > > > > > To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n > > Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential > and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they > are addressed. 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