The View from Where I Sit

Tag: para-super hero

  • DANNY TURNS DOWN THE….

    DANNY TURNS DOWN THE….

    By: Daniella Jade Lowe

    Danny was a young Para-Superhero. Nobody had seen or even heard of a neurodiverse superhero. He had an adaptive costume for all occasions. His wheelchair was faster than the speed of lightning.

    Being born as a Para-Superhero, made Danny quite the ‘oddball.’ He was birthmarked to defy genetic dispositions. He demanded respect wherever he went.

    As a Para-Superhero he always wanted to prove people wrong which made him ambitious.

    ‘A superhero is supposed to save the day,’ he thought.

    ‘How can I save the day as a Para-Superhero?’ Danny thought to himself.

    Unfortunately he inherited the nickname, ‘supercrip.’

    As Danny got older he could not tolerate the stigma that came with being a Para-Superhero. Too many titles from society caused him to lose who he was. As a result, he suffered an ‘identity crisis.’

    Danny already dealt with physical limitations. He didn’t want people’s labels too. It brought intersectionality to his personality.

    The mainstream world saw Danny as ‘privileged’ but ‘abnormal’ when all he wanted was ‘acceptance’ which often led to discrimination.

    ‘What is normal?’ Danny would think to himself.

    ‘Normal is the setting on a dryer!’ he concluded.

    This one stereotype has repeated itself so much that it resounds like a broken record to Danny.

    His mother reminded him, ‘It’s not about what they call you, it’s what you answer to!’

    Stereotypes were his handicap. Danny had two options, either take life lying down or be motivated to live up to his own goals and expectations. So he started a war on stereotypes with archetypes.

    This war included fighting against exploitation of disabilities, deformities, misconceptions, and negative portrayal of disabilities. ‘Disability is not a taboo!’ he said. Inclusion is not a delusion.
    • Heroes don’t need to overcome their disabilities.
    • Wheelchairs aren’t exclusively for older people.
    • We are not “inspiration porn”.
    • Who said you need to walk in order to be a hero?
    ‘Let’s have a ‘big conversation’ on stereotypes,’ Danny exclaimed!
    ‘Stereotypes exist, definitely, but that’s why we should listen to the individual voices of disabled people over non-disabled charity voices’ Danny said!
    Danny says, ‘Let me tell you how to deal with the terrible power of stereotypes.’ ‘Disable the label!’ Assumptions are lazy. Statistics should not affect status.
    • Change the stereotypes. Challenge the ‘status quo.’ Upset the fruit basket. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.
    • Buffer the stereotype threat through shifting self perception to positive self affirmation.
    • Reframe the stereotype threatening task as a challenge. See a stereotype as a chance to prove people wrong instead of getting offended over it.
    • Reinterpret the anxiety that comes with stereotype threats. In other words, ‘don’t take it personal’ and make bold steps to overcome them.
    And that’s how Danny turned down the stereotypes!
  • “Sammy Sets the Record Straight”

    “Sammy Sets the Record Straight”

    Sammy is Awesome.

    He may not have the use of his legs, but he can do amazing things.

    Sammy is Strong.

    Sammy is Fast.

    Sammy is Awesome.

    What is so Awesome about Sammy?

    Well, Sammy is a short, black, 5 year old boy Para-superhero.

    He had a ready smile that would light up any room.

    When he giggled, it was contagious and you couldn’t help but giggle with him, even if you didn’t know what he was giggling about!

    One thing everyone knew about Sammy, you couldn’t be around him for too long before, you too, had a smile on your face. That is just how he was, “Smiling little Sammy”.

    Super Sammy loved to have fun and explore, just like any other 5 year old. He loved to laugh and when he was in the company of people he loved, you would hear shrieks of laughter and when curiosity got the better of you, you would find that Sammy was smack bang in the centre of it all.

    It was during one such family occasion with his two friends Jamar and Johnny, when everyone was laughing and having fun, that Sammy made an amazing discovery. He realised that he had something that was a bit out of the ordinary. Nobody had told him about his self-discovery, and he kept it a secret.

    Sammy loved to be of help to others, but not only that, he found himself dreaming about helping others. He dreamt he had an extra special ability to help others, but never imagined, for one moment, that it was a power that was to be used in reality.

    This dream happened regularly and would often occur just before he awoke from his sleep. He would dream that he was helping people who were in need in different types of ways.

    In his dream, Sammy was doing all sorts of things that he was unable to do in real life. Sammy was in a wheelchair and had little use of his legs but, in this dream, his legs were not bound. He was not in a wheelchair. There was nothing he couldn’t do. The disability became invisible. He would think about these dreams often, wondering what they meant, as they happened a lot.

    In this dream, he had been given super powers. These super powers aren’t genetic or hereditary. They help him to fight off bullies. He could also fly in his dreams, which meant that he has the ability to rise above his problems in reality.

    As a disabled superhero, Sammy has grown to dislike bullying. He also doesn’t like the drama that comes with it. As a victim, he has been called all sorts of names like, ‘chocolate-cripple’.

    ‘See me first, not my wheelchair,’ he cried.

    He even has advocates and tactics to help him overcome them. These advocates include Johnny, who has been teased because of his race, and Jamar has been bullied because of his hair. They eventually formed an anti-bullying gang alongside Sammy. He also wears blue to help ‘stand against’ bullying, in support of anti-bullying day.

    Johnny and Jamar, helped Sammy come up with five solutions to overcome bullying. Johnny and Jamar were Sammy’s sidekicks.

    These tactics include speaking to a caring teacher, trusted adult, parent, calling a helpline or get a personal emergency alarm. Johnny and Jamar teach Sammy that bullies are not born bullies. Bullying is learned behaviour.

    So Sammy tried to get to know his bullies and understand why they behave the way they do. Once the bullies realised the error of their ways, Sammy and the bullies worked together to remove the negativity.

    Johnny and Jamar also taught Sammy what to do if conflict doesn’t stop.

    Conflict 101

    • Have the right attitude.
    • Speak up for yourself.
    • Be direct- Don’t let people boss you around.
    • Pick your fights.

    Even today, Sammy continues to use the superpowers from his dreams and uses them in reality to help others.