I was just reading an article that listed the top portrayals of people with disabilities in the movies. First on the list was the character Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump. The article then listed another four. What jumped out at me was that the author never mentioned Forrest himself!

I pondered about what made this movie character's disability disappear before our eyes? We are always clear that his spine "is as crooked as a politician" and "he's five little points below normal". Once Forrest runs out  of his leg braces, we see him as overcoming his disability and just accept him as a sweet, loveable, gentle, honest soul.

The disability disappears because we look past it. We see the person not the disability. Hmmmmmmmmmmm..........

        I was just reading an article that posed a real disability dilemma for a school district in Ohio. A first grader was going to begin her first grade in a typical school. Her disability required that she use a service dog. The first grade teacher has a disability. She has severe allergies to animals. 
        The school district is making arrangements for the student to attend first grade in another school farther from home. Was this accommodation a reasonable one?

People with disabilities face barriers daily. Often, according to research the most difficult barrier to overcome is dealing with the attitudes of other people regarding people with disabilities. Whether born from ignorance, fear, misunderstanding or hate, these attitudes and perceptions can become barriers to achievement for people with disabilities. The most pervasive negative attitude is focusing on a person's disability rather than on the person's talent.
 
Some attitudinal barriers encountered by people with disabilities include the following: 
 
Inferiority 
Because a person may be impaired in one of life's major functions, some people believe that individual is a "second-class citizen." However, people with disabilities may have skills
that compensate for and/or take priority over the impairment.
  
Pity 
People feel sorry for the person with a disability, which tends to lead to patronizing attitudes.
People with disabilities generally do not want pity and charity, just equal opportunity to earn their own way and live independently.
 
Hero worship
People consider someone with a disability who lives independently or pursues a profession to be brave or "special" for overcoming a disability. But most people with disabilities do not
want accolades for performing day-to-day tasks. The disability is there; the individual has simply learned to adapt by using his or her skills and knowledge.

        So much of my focus [due to personal experience] on this website is geared toward physical disabilities. It is true that many of the problem solving approaches are universal; whether you have a physical, emotional or cognitive 'condition'. Regretfully, I have not posted any details regarding issues for people with developmental disabilities. It was made abundantly clear when I was researching self advocacy.
        "Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas. About one in six children in the U.S. have one or more developmental disabilities or other developmental delays." (from the CDC website)

Specific conditions listed as Developmental Disabilities are:

Each condition in the above lists are links for specific details of each.

        The self-advocacy movement seeks to reduce the isolation of people with disabilities [especially developmental disabilities; also grouped as 'intellectual disabilities'] and give them the tools and experience to take greater control over their own lives. People with these challenges have historically been the folks that were placed in group homes and / or institutions. They have traditionally not been included in making decisions affecting there own lives.
        We all have basic civil / human rights. I am embarrassed to admit that I have neglected this group in my writing to date. However, I will continue to advocate for the rights of ALL people, regardless of whether they have a disability or not; regardless of the kind of disability they may have.