I am a large person. Most people would not assume that I could do a triathlon by looking at me. They may even think I’m just starting on a fitness journey. I can’t tell you how many stares and awkward smiles I’ve gotten from strangers while exercising in public. My workout buddy and dear friend Kari and I have coined this incredibly frequent interaction the “Big Girl Running” look: when someone sees us doing something they assume we can’t do they’re either shocked, mortified, or feel like they have to comment in some way. Yes, I’m biking; yes, I’m swinging kettlebells like a beast; yes, I’m running around Lake Calhoun in a spandex onsie that leaves little to the imagination about the shape of my body. Yes, I can do it. Sometimes the “Big Girl Running” look is comical (Kari and I have so much material that we’ve considered making a Fringe show), sometimes it is annoying, and sometimes it downright stings. Bottom line: strangers' assumptions about us affect us no matter how independently strong and confident we are.
One of our tenets at Upstream Arts is “Assume Ability.” We go into each class assuming that everyone is able: whether it be dancing, painting, acting, writing poetry, or making music, all people are able to participate. The child who has limited mobility and uses a wheel chair – yes, he can dance. The adult who is non-verbal and keeps her head down – yes, she can sing a song. The students whose behaviors scream “leave me alone” – yes, they can paint and work together while doing so. But how are they going to know they can if we don’t act on the assumption that they can? This goes for life inside and outside of the classroom. What society assumes about people with disabilities affects them no matter how independently strong and confident they are.
I’m grateful to the people in my life who have assumed ability of me, be it physical fitness, artistic ability, leadership capacity, or anything else along the range of human expression. I have a host of people who are on that list, but one woman stands out in particular: my Memaw, Mary Jackson. She assumed ability of everyone she knew. She was incredibly encouraging and always assumed I could do anything I set out to do throughout my life. Memaw loved to hear me play “The Impossible Dream” from Man of LaMancha on the piano, both as a child and even as an adult this past Christmas. It didn't matter that I was out of practice and struggled to connect the right and the left hands. "That's okay, honey, it sounds so pretty!" She assumed I could, and I did. My triathlon this year is a fundraiser for Upstream Arts in memory of Mary Jackson, who was beloved Memaw to so many. No matter what our quest or what our range of abilities, we all need people who assume that we can reach that unreachable star. We all need people who Assume Ability.
One of our tenets at Upstream Arts is “Assume Ability.” We go into each class assuming that everyone is able: whether it be dancing, painting, acting, writing poetry, or making music, all people are able to participate. The child who has limited mobility and uses a wheel chair – yes, he can dance. The adult who is non-verbal and keeps her head down – yes, she can sing a song. The students whose behaviors scream “leave me alone” – yes, they can paint and work together while doing so. But how are they going to know they can if we don’t act on the assumption that they can? This goes for life inside and outside of the classroom. What society assumes about people with disabilities affects them no matter how independently strong and confident they are.
I’m grateful to the people in my life who have assumed ability of me, be it physical fitness, artistic ability, leadership capacity, or anything else along the range of human expression. I have a host of people who are on that list, but one woman stands out in particular: my Memaw, Mary Jackson. She assumed ability of everyone she knew. She was incredibly encouraging and always assumed I could do anything I set out to do throughout my life. Memaw loved to hear me play “The Impossible Dream” from Man of LaMancha on the piano, both as a child and even as an adult this past Christmas. It didn't matter that I was out of practice and struggled to connect the right and the left hands. "That's okay, honey, it sounds so pretty!" She assumed I could, and I did. My triathlon this year is a fundraiser for Upstream Arts in memory of Mary Jackson, who was beloved Memaw to so many. No matter what our quest or what our range of abilities, we all need people who assume that we can reach that unreachable star. We all need people who Assume Ability.