I blame this lack of representation for the stares that Spencer receives.
One of my most vivid memories revolves around my youngest brother, Spencer, and a family riding the bus with us at Disney World. I was around ten, and Spencer was around six. We were sitting with the rest of our family when another family with two daughters came on and sat right across from us. Immediately, the two girls, no older than I was, started glaring at Spencer. These girls looked at Spencer as if he was the most disgusting thing they had ever seen in their lives. This was a shock; I had grown up in an environment where there was only love for Spencer, me, and my other two brothers. Seeing these two girls walk onto the bus and react in such a way baffled me. Spencer was born with two brain malformations and a handful of other medical conditions. He has defied the expectations of his diagnoses (with few exceptions, like talking), but still needs accommodations, like a wheelchair when we go out, otherwise he’ll get tired. People are shocked to see a young boy being pushed around in a wheelchair, drinking from a bottle, or eating pureed food. Children and adults stop and stare like he’s a street performer whose spectacular act is just existing. While staring agitates me, I don’t blame them. We live in a sheltered world; few television shows or movies feature characters who aren’t able-bodied. I blame this lack of representation for the stares that Spencer receives. Better representation in the media would mean that people won’t be shocked when they see Spencer on the bus at Disney World or at the local mall. I would like to take this opportunity to call upon the entertainment industry to make a greater effort to feature people more with disabilities on the big and little screen, because I don’t want any other people to experience what Spencer and many others have felt because of a lack of understanding. I hope to one day live in a society where we don’t let differences cloud our judgment.