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I Am Not My Disability
Source: Urban Amir
Ebony Clark has a rallying call-to-arms about disability and how it does not define her.
I am me. I am not my disability…
Hi, my name is Ebony, I’m 15 and I’m disabled. I suffer from a genetic condition called joint hyper mobility syndrome, which involves hip dysplasia and scoliosis.
I have been discriminated against because of this in the past so let me set the record straight. You can not catch a disability, you cannot become disabled just because you are in the same room as me. My disability doesn’t effect the way I think or speak, it doesn’t make me any different from the person you are sat next to, working with, standing next to right now and it certainly doesn’t make me any different from you.
I am me. I am not my disability. My disability may stop me from doing things able-bodied people can do but I can overcome many things. I can ride a bike,I can challenge myself, I can swim, I can make friends. I am not my disability.
My disability may stop me from doing things able-bodied people can do…
Yes I attend lots of different appointments but I can get over that because I am not my disability. I was elected to the Bristol City Youth Council in 2015 for a two-year term of office. The role includes attending two meetings a month, one formal and one a campaign meeting. ‘Im also a shadow Safeguarding Board member and an Equalities Champion focusing on disability and I’ve shadowed Helen Holland, who is Labour councillor. I also became Bristol’s overall young hero for 2016.Y ou can overcome it. There’s a quote: ‘Don’t give up because you can change the world’.
Go show them all what you can do and how determined you are and show them that you will fight for what you want no matter what limitations you have. People sprint in the paralympics with legs missing and they run very fast.
So you go show determination, you go show your strength and you go prove to them that you can accomplish anything with any obstacles if you set your heart and mind to it.
Let it push you to succeed and make the impossible possible because impossible doesn’t mean something can’t be done… It just means it hasn’t been done and everything has a first time so go make everyone proud and show them that you can accomplish amazing things.
I am not my disability.
Check out these organisations supporting young people with disabilities in Bristol
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About the author
Ebony Clark
I was elected to the Bristol City Youth Council in 2015 for a two-year term of office. I'm also a shadow Safeguarding Board member and an Equalities Champion focusing on disability and I've shadowed Helen Holland (Labour councillor). I also became Bristol's overall young hero for 2016.
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