Taboo Topic?

“Part of the problem with the word 'disabilities' is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted. But what of people who can't feel? Or talk about their feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways? What of people who aren't able to form close and strong relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in disappointment and bitterness and find in life no joy, no love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities.”
― Fred Rogers,       

         Nancy Mairs's reputation as a ""Radical"" writer comes from her willingness to discuss taboo topics(Bedford 13). Her piece Disability shines light onto the stereotypical perceptions of those with disabilities with a focus on the debilitating decrease of confidence that often comes with stranger's reactions. The exposure of disabilities in the media has been gaining in recent years. The television show Glee has a cast that includes characters in wheelchairs or with Down Syndrome. Keeping these characters in the show helps spread awareness about common disabilities, both mental and physical.
        Despite the advancements in public awareness, discussing disabilities and disorders, especially mental disorders, remains controversial. There is little to no learning about disabilities schools, not even in health classes. Autism is one of the most common developmental disorders with more than one in one hundred people affected by it worldwide, yet it is rarely spoken of (The National Autistic Society). Speaking about differences between people is always a risk, but without discussion the differences become a gap that becomes increasingly difficult to cross. Physical disorders will be seen as ordinary with greater ease than their mental counterparts because of the willingness and ability of members to champion their cause in entertainment and academic arenas. A society's treatment of citizens seen as abnormal is a good measure of the willingness of the people to accept and celebrate their difference and lead the way to a brighter future.