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Living With Spina Bifida
| Robert M. Hensel was born in Rota,
Spain in 1969.
Currently a resident of Oswego, New York, he is
an international poet-writer.
On October 1st of 2000, Robert was honored when
the mayor of his home town declared, in his name. a week
for the disabled:
= Beyond Limitations
Week = |
I grew up with a birth defect known as spina
bifida, a disability that affects my sense of balance, causing me
to walk with a limp. Not only does it affect the function of the
legs, but it also has an impact on the kidneys, causing them to
deteriorate.
The disability has had its ups and downs. As a
young child, I can remember the way other children would look at
me and stare because of the way that I walked. There were many
times that my schoolmates would laugh at me and call me names
simply because of their lack of understanding of why I was a
little different, especially back in the mid 70s and early 80s.
Children then were just unwilling to take the time to learn why
one of their classmates might walk, speak or seem noticeably
different from themselves.
Now that I am an adult, I have noticed that the
stares and names have begun to fade, and judgments that once were
negative have begun to turn toward acceptance. The signing of ADA
- the Americans with Disabilities Act - protects the rights
of all disabled Americans. ADA has played a great part in breaking
down some of those barriers that, as a child, left me to fight a
war that seemed to have no end. Now, I look beyond what I can't do
and focus on what I can. I have learned that
limitations open doors that have been closed, showing other ways
to meet our needs.
I have always looked at life as a challenge,
grasping each obstacle with open arms. There is nothing in this
world that comes easy. I must stand tall and look forward, to be
ever so ready for what still lies ahead.
People often feel sorry for those who were born
with some type of disability. But their compassion is misplaced.
Yes, I may not be able to run as fast or perform certain tasks,
but my disability gives me a better look at life and all that's
around me. I want to be seen not as a disability but as a person
who has, and will continue to, bloom. So I decided to become an
advocate on behalf of disabled Americans, to fight for our rights
that for so long have been ignored. I feel that it only takes one
powerful voice to change the minds of many nations, and as long as
I have a mouth to use and a mind to think I will continue to work
to bring peace upon the disabled community.
- Robert Hensel
Oswego, New York, U.S.A.
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