The Word Normal

Normal is a complex word for disabled people. Some prefer that it not be used, while some are completely fine with it. For me, normal is fine as long as it doesn’t compare disabled and abled people. For example, if an able-bodied person says “Pretty soon, you’ll be able to walk normally”, to a disabled person, that is not okay, as it compares an abled-bodied normal to a disabled persons’ life. Now, if an abled-bodied person says “You’re normal in my eyes”, it can be seen as a validation. Disabled normal and abled normal are very different, and that is worth recognizing.

Edited on Saturday, June 15 at 5:26pm to correct double spacing error.