Game-Changer

It doesn't seem like watching a baseball movie would provide inspiration for best practices in the field of developmental disabilities, yet the premise of the film Moneyball does just that. In the film, the manager of the Oakland A's rethinks the way baseball does business. By not doing what has always been done (throw money at the team), he was able to lead an underdog to (almost) victory.

In our work with people with disabilities, we need to change the way we do things. Admittedly, we are doing better than we did years ago. Examples come to mind of trying to exorcise the demons out of them, performing frontal lobotomies, warehousing them in institutions, forced sterilization. Things are great for people with cognitive disabilities these days, comparatively-speaking.  They have very nutritious, abundant food based on their preferences. They have really nice, individualized bedrooms with fresh, clean linens. They have opportunities to spend their own monthly allowances on things they like. They own things. They are offered meaningful activities during the day.

Yet, the people themselves don't always agree that they have a high quality of life. Perhaps the game-changer is to ask what they think a great life would be for them. Maybe it would look different than the typical middle-class life they are leading. Another game-changer might be to look only at their abilities and not primarily their disabilities. Yet another game-changer could be to put all humans on a continuum of disability (or ability). We could consider all of us as having had a disability or likely to be disabled at some point in our lives and treat all people the way we will want to be treated when we are disabled. As it is, we divide people into only two groups - those with disabilities and those without. And those with disabilities are often thought of as inferior to people without.

The reason we need to pursue a game-changer in the field of disabilities is because they are not equal to everyone else. And because of this, they don't feel heard, understood, or respected. Despite their outwardly good life, they do not feel included. The game-changer (whatever it is) would assure a full life in society for everyone.