When Strangers Point Out My 'Small Head'

I am a mentally and physically disabled person. I do not like when people call people with disabilities “retards.” I don’t like that word because we are smart. The other thing I really do not like is when people stare at people like me with microcephaly — meaning someone is born with a small head. People just stare at you, point fingers at you and say “Look, mom or dad, that person has a small head.” Like we don’t already know. They never come up to ask questions, which is very rude.

People just assume that it’s mean to ask questions, but in my case I would rather someone ask a question about the way I look instead of just staring. People say mean things out loud — and it’s not just kids, it’s adults too. You would think people would teach their kids or family members some respect for other people. Disabled people have feelings too!

Please do not say the R-word. It’s rude and it hurts. We are not “stupid” and we are not “retards.” We are smart in our own way, and people need to realize that.

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Thinkstock photo by LFO 62.