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Ben D. Anderson– A Man with Cerebral Palsy Has His Say Ben D. Anderson is a college graduate, public speaker, advocate for individuals with disabilities, and founder of an organization that empowers others with disabilities. Much of his accomplishments came at a time when individuals with cerebral palsy were even more misunderstood than they are today. Read the following story to learn more about Ben through his own words. My Story I was born in 1953 in North Dakota with cerebral palsy. My parents didn't have many options back then, so from 1957-1965 I lived at the crippled children's school (now the Anna Carlson School ) in Jamestown , ND . I learned to love John Deere tractors when I was a boy. When I was four years old, my grandfather promised me a John Deere tractor if I would walk. It was the first of many challenges I accepted in my life. In junior high and high school, I spent much of my time in special education classrooms. At the end of my high school career, the certificate I received from the school was not, at that time, defined as a “real” diploma, so it took a good deal of determination and patience to get into college and then on to my degree. But I took that challenge, too, and was successful in not only getting to and graduating from college, but also in founding a national organization called Break Through, Inc., to educate people about those who have disabilities. And, as a personal highlight, in 1988 my old high school changed policy and gave me the diploma I had not been given years earlier. In 1992, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Stout with a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocational Rehabilitation. But to fully appreciate what that meant to me, you have to understand what came before that moment. How I Accomplished My Goals At one time, I was misdiagnosed as having an IQ in the mid-sixties. Likewise, a major university did not accept my application in 1972 because they believed I was “not capable” of doing the work. But I was determined to prove them wrong. I set three goals for myself: (1) get a degree; (2) start my own organization; and (3) write a book. I accomplished all of these. Not bad for someone with an IQ in the sixties, right? I do take pleasure in proving people wrong who have misconceptions and biases about those who live with disabilities. I call it a stubborn self-resolve. Accomplishing my goals was not easy. The stresses of academic life and acclimating myself to the university setting after having been in special education classrooms most of my life was hard. People with disabilities often struggle with those types of challenges, but I was able to accomplish the goals I'd set for myself in spite of misdiagnoses and prejudices. What the Word “Disability” Means I think the word (disability) describes everyone at some point in their lives, because there are things that all of us would like to do but can't. The word itself doesn't bother me as much as a word like “handicap”, which is simply a shortened version of an old term “hand and cup” which referred primarily to street beggars who were ignored and looked down upon for their disabilities. But why define yourself at all by what you can't do? Focus instead on what you can do. All people have things they can't do. And all people have things that they can do, and do well. Accentuate the things you do well and don't define yourself – or allow others to define you – by what you cannot do. Be you. What Others Need to Know about People with Disabilities There are five things I'd love for people to know about people with disabilities. First, we are human beings and we have feelings like everyone else. Second, we are energetic and feel the same sense of imagination and determination that others do. We have dreams and goals, too. Third, we like to enjoy life and have fun, but we also like to be included in the serious aspects of life, too. We encompass all aspects of human life, same as everyone else. Fourth, we don't like to be taken advantage of any more than anyone else does. And, fifth, we don't like to be mislabeled or misdiagnosed by people who don't know us. Like all people, before someone judges us a person, they need to get to know us as people, not as stereotypes. Remember: labels belong on fruit jars, not on people! How to Prepare Children for Life if they were Born with a Disability How to prepare your kids with disabilities depends so much on who you are as parents, what your belief system is, where you come from, etc. Teach them to respect people for who they are rather than for what they can or cannot do. Look at the positive rather than the negative things about them. I would also teach them that they will be mistreated. Not everyone will treat them with the same respect they give in return. That's okay. The people who do that also have a disability of sorts, of misunderstanding and bias. But each moment of discrimination or mistreatment holds the potential to be a teachable moment, so that the person with whom you are dealing might have that opportunity to learn something important about both you and themselves. This is really what I emphasize. When you are mistreated, you can either respond in anger or you can respond in understanding and create a teachable moment. On one occasion, I was being discriminated against in a restaurant and was asked to leave. I could have responded in anger and resentment, but instead started a conversation and left twenty minutes later shaking the hand of the person who had been discriminating against me. Our conversation may have changed his whole attitude about people with disabilities and it would not have been possible if I'd left in anger. The Most Important Things People with Disabilities can Do for Themselves I believe that living independently is key. All adults should have the opportunity to make their own decisions and live in their own space. Even if they have need of more help than others, they should be in their own environment – their own pictures, their own family, their own possessions – so that they have the same sense of autonomy that others enjoy. Advocates need to understand this. They need to advocate more for what people with disabilities really want. It is very liberating and empowering to be in your own environment, where you feel safe and familiar. This does not mean that safety should be sacrificed for independence. I would never jeopardize someone's safety for the sake of a completely independent lifestyle. However, apart from personal safety, there is nothing more important for any of us than to feel we are free to make our own decisions in our own environment. Everything else flows from that. If You Would Like to Contact Ben Visits Ben' website at www.breakthroughinc.com You can reach Ben directly at (715) 554-1179.
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