Some people live with disabilities, but it goes undiagnosed due to the stigma attached.
Chuck McIntyre delivered this and other messages at a presentation on August 19 at the Mattapoisett Library. The Commission on Disabilities invited McIntyre to speak from the perspective of someone with a disability.
McIntyre, 31, has autism, depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD.) He works full-time, lives independently and is studying at Bristol Community College to become an Early Childhood educator.
A small but attentive crowd gathered at the library and was educated by this prospective teacher on physical and mental disabilities, as well as society’s perception of the disabled. McIntyre, a 2011 graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School, detailed his journey as well.
Though successful, McIntyre said it has been an uphill battle, and he has had to self-advocate. At one point at his job, he asked for extra training. It took self-advocacy for McIntyre to get that training.
Society has come a long way, but there is still stigma attached to physical and mental disabilities. McIntyre said sensitivity and education are key components toward understanding and improving the perception of those with disabilities.
“We are quite a proud and noble people,” McIntyre said.
McIntyre detailed the history of how those with disabilities and the perception have changed over time.
He noted the 1990 Capitol Crawl, a protest in Washington, D.C. in which approximately 1,000 people with disabilities crawled up the United States Capitol steps to urge Congress to pass the American with Disabilities Act (ADA.) Just a few months later, this act was passed.
McIntyre encouraged this activism but urged people to protest within the parameters of the law such as calls and letters to political leaders. Encouraging sensitivity and understanding, McIntyre says it is often considered insulting to offer a “push” to someone in a wheelchair.
He said the actor Peter Dinklage, most-famously known as Tyrion Lannister in the HBO series Game of Thrones, has a form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia. He refuses to be cast in comedic roles.
McIntyre said those with more common disabilities such as depression and ADHD are also misunderstood. He said he had months to prepare for his presentation but put most of it together the day before. This symptom is common for someone with an ADHD brain, and they should not be shamed for their procrastination.
Toward the end, one woman in the audience talked about her Multiple Sclerosis and how so many people think it is a physical problem and not a neurological problem.
McIntyre said learning about these disabilities is the best way “to become an ally” to the disabled community.
By Jeffrey D. Wagner