I agree with Mairs in that I don't think that a disability has to rule your life or completely define you. Whenever you're around people with disabilities, they want to be treated normally because we really aren't that different; Mairs brings up the point that she still buys tampons, mouthwash and bleaches her family's underwear just as any other woman would because she isn't a different species, she's still a human and does the same things that all women do. I don't think that all of society really understands this though, and so they're led to believe that people with disabilities should get special treatment or need extra help just because they're different. Society needs to be aware of the fact that having a disability such as multiple sclerosis does not make people a different species, and that they're much more alike than some people chose to believe.
I know that people with disabilities aren't totally defined by their disability and are very similar to everyone else because I know someone with MS. If you've ever seen my red wristband and wondered what it says, it says "HOPE" and "nationalmssociety.org" and I wear it in support of my cousin was diagnosed with MS at the age of 17 (which is very young to be diagnosed) and you probably won't ever see me without it. I see her multiple times every year and if I didn't know she had MS, I wouldn't be able to tell. If you saw her on the street, you wouldn't be able to tell she has MS because she isn't letting MS define her, so she does completely normal things like going to college, having a job and even going to concerts with her favorite younger girl cousin. Just because someone has a disability doesn't mean they're different, doesn't mean they need help or special treatment. And remember, disabled people are just regular people.
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