Learning from “Disability for a Day”

A long-ago project in Columbia was “Disability for a Day.” Various people volunteered to adopt a disability for the day and then talk about it that afternoon. I decided to use low vision. Since I always wear glasses I rubbed petroleum jelly on the inside of each lens. That way I could walk around the office without bumping into people, but couldn’t recognize their faces. Reading and driving were out of the question. And I was a little afraid when I rode with family members because I couldn’t see the other cars. And I found, most importantly, that I couldn’t look at people’s eyes when I talked to them. I hadn’t realized how important the eyes were-do they agree, do they disagree, do they understand? We who are “able” have a lot to learn from those who have disabilities.