We’ve all seen it.
Ebenezer Scrooge and Bah Humbug and the ghosts of Christmas past,
present and future…. And Tiny Tim.
I don't generally mix my work and my blog but here it is...I just started thinking about this today.
Tiny Tim is one of the early figures of disability in
film. We see him in A Christmas Carol on
his crutches and we feel so sorry for him.
We feel pity. And that’s what Scrooge feels when he finally has his
epiphany in the movie. He feels pity for
Tiny Tim and wants to help him. And then Tiny Tim becomes “special” and
inspirational
Well I’ll tell you what.
People with disabilities don’t want Pity! And people with disabilities don’t want to be
seen as inspirational either!
Here's my take of the ghosts of past, present, and future and what they have to tell us about Tiny Tim.
The ghost of Tiny
Tim’s Christmas Past
Long ago people with disabilities were put in
institutions. They were seen as “less
than” as burdensome and not at all part of our society. There was no expectation of education or
career. Tiny Tim would shake his tiny
head at this. The ghost of Christmas
Past wants you to know that Tiny Tim deserves better. He wants neither your pity nor your
reverence. He just wants to go to school and graduate. He wants to get a job
and become a contributing member of society.
Tiny Tim wants to be empowered to live a life of full inclusion!
The ghost of Tiny
Tim’s Christmas Present
Today, things are getting better. Tiny Tim can get a full and inclusive
education. If he’s having trouble
finding work or with his Independent Living Skills, he can call on any variety of community organizations that are there to help people with disabilities. Still there are attitudinal barriers and people might still look with pity or reverence...there are restaurants and shops that are still not accessible to Tim and his family. Schools still sometimes keep him separate from the other kids. He might get bullied.
The ghost of Tiny
Tim’s Christmas Future
The ghost of Tiny Tim’s Christmas future is not a scary grim
reaper—no. In my mind this ghost is
using a shiny golden power wheelchair.
He’s wearing a lovely robe of velvet green with a crown of poinsettia on
his head. And he points his strong, long finger to Tim’s future and this is
what he sees:
Tim is working a job that satisfies him. He is no longer “tiny” because he’s a grown
up. He still has a disability; his
crutches are simply assistive devices that help him get around. He has a wife
and children and a nice little house in the city. He is fully included in his community—his
favorite restaurant has a ramp so that people of all mobility types can get in
the doors. His daughter put colored tape on his crutches to
celebrate the holiday. No one looks at
Tim as he goes into the restaurant with his family because he’s just a man
having dinner out. He pays his bill with
the money he earns at his job and no one is amazed that he was able to pay
“despite” his disability. He goes home
with his family and falls asleep, satisfied to be in a world where
accommodations and accessibility are second nature. And the snow (which will be
shoveled first thing in the morning so that everyone can use the sidewalks)
falls softly outside.
I really love my job at IndependenceFirst. I am sure grateful for that. And I hope my imaginary ghost of Christmas Future is right.
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