In 2001, the revised constitution of Greece made a correction of utmost importance. It established the term “Persons with Disabilities”, to replace the previous “Persons with Special Needs”. The National Confederation of Persons with Disabilities also advocates for this specific change, which, in an open letter to the government in 2021 regarding digital accessibility, specifically wrote: “The term “Persons with Special “Needs” does not only strictly include disability situations, but it also contributes to the creation of divisions and exclusion and is therefore not consistent with the legal perspective.”
Language has the power to shape consciousness and the truth is that we all have needs. In an interview, the wonderful people of “Cool Crips”, administrators of the eponymous Instagram page that aims to raise awareness, but also familiarity with disability, state: “In reality, our needs are the same. Need for education, transportation, housing, food, entertainment, social life, sex life… Just because a blind person needs braille on the condom package doesn’t make their need for proper protection special.”
Disability is a condition that does not reduce the human quality of the person. Desires, feelings, longings, or frustrations remain intact in the heart of everyone whether they can’t see, can’t hear, or can’t walk. The modern history of our species has many examples of people with disabilities who have achieved great goals and contributed to society and science as much as any other person without a disability.
The question, now, of “what is a human?” has been occasionally in the center of attention at every level of humanity.
Immanuel Kant, with his philosophical thought, started with the following observation: “Humans are beings that ask themselves questions which ultimately cannot be answered by them.” He goes on arguing that precisely this weakness leads us to the need to acquire experiences and knowledge as we search for answers. That is, through this weakness, we are actually given a vision, a hope of completion (in ancient Greek τέλος = purpose).
Renos Haralambidis, in the book he collected and published his scattered thoughts during the birth of his four films (“Manual of cinematic disobedience”), states that “Each film is the way to a return. We are born away from ourselves and throughout our lives we return to who we really are.”
In 2017’s five-Oscar nominee Lady Bird, once confused and explosive seventeen-year-old Christine, when her mom sighs to her, “I just want you to be the best version of yourself,” she replies, “What if this is the best version of me?” At first you are dumbfounded, because this possibility contains a grain of truth in it, but at the same time you know, having experienced 17, 18, or 19 years of age, that there are many better versions coming.
The search for identity and purpose, then, is not a luxury for some people. Whether someone is able to read this article, listen to it from the computer playback, whether they are sitting or standing, they can identify, reflect, and express an opinion. There is no less “human” because someone has a disability.
History, however, has shown that the inclusion of all people was not easy in society.
In 1980, Russia was the host country of the Olympic Games. Refusing to recognize the condition of disability, the country did not compete in the Paralympic Games. At the 2004 Olympic Games, Othon Tsounakos, in the tribute he issued for the summer Paralympic Games in Athens, particularly mentions: “Some very, very sensitive people did not come to the games (and advised others not to) because – he says – they would feel depressed. Watching “disabled” would make them sick, they couldn’t stand it […] We didn’t see “disabled” people anywhere these days. Not even one. We only saw sportsmen and women with disabilities, fighting for victory. Sportsmen and women who let us share their anguish, efforts and emotions.”
The principle in the science of anthropology is that nothing is understood as normal. In the infinity of time and space we are lucky enough to live in, there are many different “normalities”.
After all, the world was not made for these few ones, these specific ones, these same ones.
Author: Nefeli Tsilopoulou
Photography: TEDxAUTH 2023 Photography team
