A long time ago, I read a book called Physical Disability a Psychological Approach. It was written by Beatrice Wright. It is really a great book. I did not see it on Bookshare but people can get it on tape from RFB&D. Anyway, the psychologist explained that there are basically three ways that people react to people with any kind of physical challenge. 1. Deprecatory attitude -- feel sorry for you, think you cannot do anything, etc. 2. Salutatory -- think that you are heroic, awe inspiring, etc. 3. Neutral -- don't think about it, don't care, treat you like everybody else, etc. The question is how to deal with the people in the first two categories. I guess one of the ways that I deal with them is to categorize the negative responses. When I experience these negative responses, it is difficult for me to remember that most of the response that I get from people are in the neutral category, and thus, I tend to dwell on the negative ones. But, it is important to remember that people have other problems that you cannot see and are struggling with them. Therefore, when they react to physical differences, it is because of their own problems. In other words, people with disabilities are OK and if we can remember that, we will be happier. Also, attitudes toward disability have become more positive or neutral since 1985. Unfortunately, there are still some ignorant people around. I am amazed that in the year 2006 that there is still prejudice against people of color and other kinds of prejudice. There is prejudice of everything. What I am trying to say is that because we often experience negative reactions because of our physical differences, even if we did not have these differences, we would probably still feel some kind of discrimination because of the nature of the world. I think that it helps to view people who have physical challenges as just another minority group who are struggling in this chaotic, confusing society in which people are getting killed in other parts of the world because of racial, religious, and economic hatred and jealously. I realize that it hurts when people treat us differently because of our physical differences. It is hard because to us having physical challenges are normal. We see them like wearing a pair of eye glasses. I think it helps to try to normalize our disability experiences. Maybe, Cindy and Jamie can help us do that. If anyone wants to read the physical disability book through Bookshare, I will be happy to scan it. Barbara