ABSTRACT
A person without a disability may recognize someone using a wheelchair, a guide dog or a prosthetic limb, or someone with Down syndrome, but most don't conceptualize these people as having a shared social identity and a political status. Disability growth areas include diagnostic categories such as depression, anxiety disorders, anorexia, cancers, traumatic brain injuries, attention deficit disorder, autoimmune disease, spinal cord injuries, autistic spectrum disabilities and dementia. Yet disability, like any challenge or limitation, is fundamental to being human, a part of every life. Becoming disabled demands learning how to live effectively as a person with disabilities, not just living as a disabled person trying to become nondisabled. It also demands the awareness and cooperation of others who don't experience these challenges. Becoming disabled means moving from isolation to community, from ignorance to knowledge about who they are, from exclusion to access, and from shame to pride.
