Stephen Hawking once said, “Sometimes I wonder if I’m as famous for my wheelchair and disabilities as I am for my discoveries.”

My brother has a disease that gradually deteriorates his muscle function. This means that he used to be able to walk. We used to be just another ordinary, nuclear family. Then, about seven years ago, he started using a wheelchair.

Not only was this a shock for me, realizing I will never see my brother walk again, but this was a culture shock as my family’s eyes were opened to the inaccessibility and stigma with which the modern world burdens those in wheelchairs.

Thoughtlessness is rampant.

People can be so self-absorbed. When my family went to EPCOT last year, we had a series of mishaps involving an attraction’s inaccessibility that led us to be offered premium viewing area for the fireworks. So we went about the rest of our day and about 45 minutes prior to the start of the show, we made our way to where the premium area was roped off and told the attendant who we were.

As one of the workers moved the rope and allowed our family to go in, a lady that had been standing off to the side goes up to the other attendant and says “Oh, so since we don’t have a cute dog and a wheelchair, we’re not allowed to stand there?” I literally had to hold my mother back from going off on this lady as the worker explained that we had passes.

This is just one example of thoughtlessness on the part of random people. And it goes for just anyone in general. Do not assume you know the entire situation. We went through a lot of hassle and this is supposed to be some compensation for our troubles.

There is good in the world.

Not everyone that is in a wheelchair is mentally disabled. My brother has full cognitive abilities and my life with him in it is the experience from which I am drawing my statements. He’s a quiet guy or “a man of few words” as my mom describes him. He loves to play video games and make others laugh with his comments. He’s just another person, who happens to not be able to walk.

He has a good amount of people with which he gets along. Whenever his friends come over or he goes over to a friend’s house, which is a BIG deal for him, I’m just so grateful for the genuine people he has found to surround himself with.

This past year, there was a walk hosted to benefit the organization that does research into possible cures for the disease that he has, and so many of his friends carpooled together to go out and support him. These boys don’t see his wheelchair, they see their friend who dominates them in Call of Duty and has the best hardware for the PlayStation.

My brother is a huge part of my life and I anticipate on making more pieces on him and my family’s experience in the future to shed light on how disabled people take on the world.