[VIDEO] If You're Wondering About: Living With A Disability
Overview
“If you’re wondering about…” is a video series that collects moments about specific topics that were talked about within our deep catalogue of conversations. The vision of {THE AND} is to build a catalogue of humans expressing their experiences and what it means to be in relationship with one another in the 21st Century. We believe there is something to learn from everyone, and that one’s life experience shared can be medicine for another, and vice versa. Thus we are proud to share with you moments pulled from our {THE AND} library that reflect exploration around a particular subject or situation.
In This Episode
People discuss both the challenges and the good experiences, their disabilities have brought into their lives. And how that has personally impacted them and those around them. As we explore new perspectives we invite you to step into the emotional space of connection and experience the deeper lessons that shared experiences can afford humanity. To everyone who has participated openly and vulnerably in our project - we appreciate what you have shared with us and hope others do as well.
Transcript
0:07
I'm just proud of
0:08
how you handle life and you don't let
0:12
you know, let your disability
0:13
get you down at all like you're never-
0:16
you never hold a grudge against,
0:17
you know, what caused your disability.
0:19
You live like just like anyone else.
0:23
I mean, I wouldn't thank enough what that gave me...
0:26
what it gave me like
0:29
you or _________ or
0:32
Just like the people around me.
0:34
It would have gotten me
0:36
those connections.
0:45
What did you wish for me
0:47
when you were pregnant?
0:50
And how is it different now?
0:55
Hmm...
0:59
When I was pregnant,
1:03
you remember, um...
1:05
You remember
1:05
we told you
1:06
the doctors called
1:08
and we
1:08
said, we're going to have a baby
1:10
with Down's syndrome, remember?
1:12
And I told you I was really scared.
1:14
Yeah. - Yeah.
1:15
And so I was wishing that
1:18
Down's syndrome would not hurt you.
1:20
And I was wishing that Down's
1:22
syndrome would not hurt our family
1:23
because I was scared, right? - Yeah.
1:25
And then...
1:28
Here I am.
1:29
Here you are, and is
1:29
it hurting you? - No. - Is it hurting me?
1:31
No. - Is it hurting dad?
1:33
Never. - No, right?
1:34
Yeah.
1:35
So I was afraid that it was
1:36
going to hurt,
1:37
but it doesn't even hurt us.
1:39
Yeah?
1:43
What have you learned from me
1:45
that changed you?
1:48
Mm.
1:49
That was when you were diagnosed
1:52
with autism.
1:53
When you were four.
1:56
I learned that
1:59
your brain and your personality
2:01
and the way you do
2:02
things is very different and unique,
2:06
especially from me.
2:09
But it taught me a lot about perspective
2:12
and how I look at things and how I parent
2:16
and just things I need to be more patient
2:19
with and cognizant of.
2:20
So you helped me with that.
2:24
This one is a making one.
2:28
That one's pretty easy.
2:28
When?
2:29
Who- one make-
2:32
Oh. - For. - Worry.
2:37
Worry.
2:38
When do I make you worry?
2:40
And when do you make me worry?
2:41
Yeah.
2:42
Do I ever make you worry?
2:43
A little bit. - Yeah.
2:45
I know.
2:46
About today.
2:46
Did I make you worry today?
2:48
Yeah. - Why?
2:49
Because...? - It was.
2:51
It is
2:52
because we didn't
2:53
know where we were going, right?
2:54
Yeah. - And... And it was cold.
2:56
Yeah, that's what it is.
2:57
So were you worried
2:58
when we were walking here?
3:00
Yeah.
3:00
Yeah, but is it okay now?
3:02
Yeah. - Everything's okay? All right.
3:05
When you make me
3:06
worry is when you might be sick
3:09
and I get really nervous.
3:10
And then we have
3:11
done some-
3:15
When- I get-
3:16
I get worried about you if you're sick.
3:18
Like,
3:18
remember when we had
3:19
to go to the hospital
3:20
and we had to go to have that test?
3:22
The test. That's what it is.
3:22
Yeah, inside that machine.
3:24
It's funny.
3:25
You didn't like that, huh? - No.
3:26
No.
3:30
When was the last time
3:31
you wish you could hear?
3:34
I'm fine-
3:35
I know you're thinking about my-
3:38
I don't know.
3:44
Oh.
3:46
Maybe 5 minutes
3:47
after arriving here, there was so much talking
3:49
going on and I didn't understand
3:50
what's going on.
3:50
I gotta lip read everybody. - yEAH BUT-
3:51
That's something that happens.
3:53
to you often.
3:55
Then, very often, I wish I could hear again.
3:59
If I had never had
4:00
any hearing maybe I wouldn't care so much
4:02
but I already had the experience.
4:04
So I'm already frustrated
4:05
when I know
4:05
that I can't be as active
4:07
as I was before. That makes it difficult.
4:09
It gets slammed in my face
4:11
every time someone comes to me and says something.
4:12
I can't lipread them, I don't understand what they're saying
4:14
I'm like... 'cause I feel less than.
4:17
I don't have that ability
4:18
to have a full conversation.
4:20
I then have to work triple hard just to match them.
4:24
Yeah.
4:25
I think that's another thing
4:26
that is different between you and other
4:28
deaf people that I've
4:30
talked to about.
4:31
You know, remember
4:32
I told you
4:32
I talked to _________ about relationship hearing deaf.
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