Fair does not always mean equal
Fair does not always mean equal. Fair means equity, which is making sure that everyone has what they need to be successful while recognizing that everyone has different needs, challenges, and abilities. Everyone cannot be given all of the same exact things. Everyone needs to be given some different things based on their unique needs. Giving every person all of the same exact things would mean that no one's needs were being met because every person has different needs.
For example, some students in the disability community might need someone to read to them if they are still in the early reader stage due to their severe to profound difficulty with identifying written words, slow processing speed, low IQ, and/or age; however, there are other people who are able to independently identify written words and just have difficulty with reading comprehension as part of their disabilities. Reading the words to someone who just has difficulty with reading comprehension will not solve this problem for them whereas providing them with specific explanations about what certain words mean could be a solution.
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Another example is that some adults in the disability community need 24/7 supervision if they frequently elope, are nonverbal, have seizures, or other severe to profound behavioral, cognitive, and/or medical needs. Adults in the disability community who experience these challenges as part of their disabilities would probably be eligible to belong in independent living facilities, assisted living facilities, homes, or adult daycares; however, there are other people who are able to live on their own in typical housing but do not know how to cook, do laundry, pay bills, and other daily living skills due to a lack of exposure to learning how to do these things or need for specific instructions. Moving an adult in the disability community who just does not know how to do certain daily living skills due to a lack of exposure to learning how to do these things or needs specific instructions for how to do so into an independent living facility, assisted living facility, or home would not solve this problem. Enrolling them in an adult daycare would also not solve this problem. Giving teaching them how to build these daily living skills a chance and trying to be as specific as possible when providing instructions for how to do these things would be possible solutions. Hiring someone to teach them how to do so to prepare them for living independently in typical housing may also be a solution.
A third example is some people's IQs are so low as part of their disabilities that they are incapable of driving or paralysis of course prevents a person from driving and require relying on transportation services; however, this would not solve the problem for capable drivers in the disability community when slow processing speed and poor working memory become factors in their experience of learning to drive. Some other people in the disability community are capable of driving adapted cars if they are in the physical disability community or can earn their driver's license and learn to drive a typical car alone with specific instructions and repetition. In today's world, many driving schools have some Driver's Education instructors who specialize in teaching people in the disability community how to drive.
A fourth example is that some students who are nonverbal, have limited verbal communication skills, or severe to profound difficulty with verbal articulation may need to bring an iPad with the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) installed on it to school and out in public to be able to talk; however, people who are verbal with none of these developmental concerns do not need to use PECS. This scenario is especially valid if it is in an elementary or middle school or workplace that prohibits usage of electronics with the exception of assistive technology like this during the school or workday. FYI students should be informed that when iPads with PECS installed on them are being used during the school day, they are a "communication tool" and "not a toy" to be used by only that individual user in need of it. They also do not give the individual users a free pass to surf the internet whenever they feel like it during class or on the job except during breaks.
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Equity also means providing different support that each student needs to succeed. Needs and support do not look the same for everyone. Opportunities also cannot look the same for everyone. Opportunities need to be equitable, realistic, and sensible. Not everyone in the disability community can meet the requirements to work certain jobs or work jobs at all. Employees need to be able to do essential functions that serve each job's purpose. For example, it is not realistic to hire a person who needs to use a wheelchair or who is fully blind, deaf, or hard of hearing as a firefighter, police officer, or for them to serve in the military. This is because they need to be able to run and have their eyes on their surroundings at all times for the purpose of situational awareness for health and safety reasons to protect themselves and others. Some people with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may also not be able to work these jobs due to their difficulties with paying attention preventing them from being able to perform these essential functions while some other people in the ADHD community may be capable of working these jobs by hyper focusing. Firefighters and police officers also need to be able to walk up and down steps in certain emergency situations to save people since elevators are not able to be used in the middle of a fire.
Not everyone in the disability community can meet the requirements to get accepted into and graduate from college. Additionally, not everyone in the disability community can meet the requirements to get accepted into and graduate from certain college programs while still capable of attending and graduating from other college programs. For example, someone with dyscalculia would not be able to be an engineer, medical doctor, or nurse while capable of becoming a teacher, psychologist, mental health counselor, social worker, speech-language pathologist, lawyer, police officer, detective, firefighter, or performer. In addition, medical doctors, nurses, surgeons, dentists, and engineers need to have a certain level of knowledge about mathematics and science. They cannot be okay, good, or decent at math and science; they have to be really good at math and science. People who struggle with higher level math, basic math, and/or math at all as part of dyscalculia, an intellectual disability, and/or other disabilities will not be able to work these jobs. In fact, it also does not make any sense to enroll students with dyscalculia, low IQs, or anyone who struggles with math in general education, honors, and AP math and science classes since students need to be really good at these subject areas to meet the enrollment requirements for these courses. So, it would not be realistic to hire someone who struggles with math as part of these disabilities for these jobs or enroll them in these classes whereas someone in or outside of the disability community with gifted math skills may be able to have these opportunities.
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Everyone deserves to get what they realistically need and help and support each other. Help also does not mean doing things for someone or for the weak. Help means showing people how to do things according to their learning styles so that they can learn how and be able to do it themselves, such as giving them specific verbal and visual directions. Help is also giving people what they need to be able to do something themselves, such as providing a step stool to a person with dwarfism so that they can reach stuff or extra time to complete tests and assignments to people with slow processing speed. Help is providing accessibility. Also, no one owes anyone an explanation for their needs. They do not need to explain why they need something if they do not want to while the option of being open should always be welcomed. In fact, no one can make anyone explain or not explain their needs. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides every American in the disability community with the federal legal right to choose to open up about their disability or disabilities or not and who to open up and not open up to even if people do not agree and no one needs to agree. ADA is also a law, and all laws are required to follow. Following laws is never a choice and not following laws can result in severe legal consequences. Laws and choosing not to open about anything are also boundaries and respect for boundaries needs to be shown at all times.
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Never assume what anyone's needs, challenges, or abilities are. Not all needs and challenges are obvious just by looking at or watching people. You may think that someone does not have a certain need, challenge, or ability and could be wrong. All of this is especially true when it comes to the needs, challenges, and abilities of people in the disability community.
For example, recently, the sixth graders at the school that I teach at went roller skating at the same roller skating rink that I use to go to as a child as an end of the year class field trip. All four of the sixth graders in my class attended and I accompanied them for additional adult support. It is easy to assume that people in the disability community are not able to roller skate due to their common difficulty with gross motor skills; however, one of my students mentioned that they go to this same roller-skating rink every weekend and my other students did extremely well including the student who I was a Personal Care Assistant (PCA) for this school year. Before assuming that this student was unable to roller skate, I encouraged their strong interest in putting on the roller skates. The rink also had skate mates, which basically works similarly as a walker while roller skating. About half of the students of all abilities in the whole sixth grade who attended were using the skate mates while some sixth graders were skating free handed or holding onto their peers. I showed them the skate mates, explained that plenty of their peers were using them, and politely asked them if they wanted to one. When my student said, "No thanks," I first went along with this and gave them a chance to skate without it because who knows that maybe they would be able to skate free handed like some of the other sixth graders since they are very athletic and human too? My student fell bottom first twice and got right back up both times. This was when I kindly explained to my student, "It would probably be more accessible if you used the skate mate while roller skating for your own safety." My student was very receptive to this and independently skated away with the skate mate with a big smile on the carpeted surface and onto the rink. Even though he fell on the rink again even with the skate mate, he stood right back up each time with someone helping him up with his usual big smile. Some of the general education teachers were so kind enough to help him back up when he needed it as well. I gave him the chance to independently skate again once he started using a skate mate wondering that maybe he would be able to do so with this type of physical support to hold onto because plenty of other students in and outside of the disability community in this sixth-grade class were doing so with skate mates. I also did not have the motor skills to independently roller skater when I was in the sixth grade and often needed to hold onto someone. I actually really wish that skate mates were accessible to people of all abilities and at all when I was his age. I enjoyed roller skating while holding onto someone because it gave me the opportunity to still participate and often grew friendships and family and teacher-student relationships because of the closeness and connection; however, I believe that a skate mate would have also given me the opportunity to more freedom and independence to skate on my own the same way plenty of my other peers had. It has been fifteen years since I last roller skated. So, I honestly do not remember how to do so. I quickly found out that this roller-skating rink allows teachers not wearing roller skates to go on the rink to provide needed support to participating students. So, without wearing roller skates, I went on the rink with my student and held onto both back sides of the skate mate while moving behind him and he held onto both front sides of the skate mate. No matter how many times he fell on the rink, he bravely and joyfully stood right back up each time with someone helping him up and verbally expressed, "I'm fine" to everyone who checked in and that he was having "fun." So, the moral of this story is avoid underestimating people in the disability community and take positive risks. Try to give people chances to show their potential before immediately jumping to conclusions about what their limits and needs may be and consider necessary potential accommodations and adaptations for the purpose of inclusion and accessibility.
Lastly, I have learned as a disability advocate and Special Educator that sometimes a person in the disability community not needing or no longer being eligible for something or being eligible for less access to stuff is bittersweet. It can provide a great reflection of how far the person has come while it can also become harder to receive access to support for valid reasons. Everyone is going through something that no one knows anything about, and we never know for sure how strongly our actions and words will impact anyone. So, always be kind.
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