Disabilities can also enable

I've never attended a convention and you won't catch me in Uhura's uniform, but I'll admit an addiction to "Star Trek: Next Generation." They're just so enlightened in that world; the writers created a diverse civilization who celebrate their often radical differences, yet work together with mutual respect.

Why bring it up? One episode is apropos: a genetically engineered society of "perfect" people is about to get blasted to bits by a stellar fragment; none could survive. Who saves the day? The blind engineer (using blind technology), someone the saved society would have aborted in utero for his genetic "deficiency." Perfect irony.

Variety is the spice of life. In the real world we've made great advancements trying to understand each other, but we could stand improvement. March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and a great time to further that goal.

Tesh - North Idaho's 36-year-old nonprofit which annually helps 450 locals who have developmental and other disabilities gain work and daily life skills - invites the community to celebrate DDAM today. Drop by Parkside Bistro between 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. for wine, beer, live music, and munchies to meet nice people and learn more - (208) 765-5105.

In 1987 President Reagan declared March Retardation Awareness Month (renamed "Developmental Disabilities"), a direct result of advocacy efforts by The ARC, a national disabilities support and lobbying group. Since then more people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) live better and thrive more in their communities, rather than in institutions, where too many were once mislabeled, misunderstood, and mistreated. Some died because their conditions were undiagnosed. People with IDDs today enjoy more respect, better health screening, more legal protections, and more opportunities for inclusion.

That's the good news. Work remains; lingering prejudice, poor understanding, underutilization of potential, and insufficient funding remain to be conquered. According to ARC, more than 600,000 people with disabilities remain on waiting lists for needed services from increasingly strapped agencies. That's counterproductive; like Tesh, many of these services help clients with independence, so they can contribute more economically.

The range of conditions which comprise IDDs is broad. People seem more familiar only with a few disabilities (e.g., Down syndrome or cerebral palsy), but not the rest of the spectrum. Intellectual disabilities involve significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, including everyday social and practical skills. Sometimes these occur environmentally, such as by meningitis-causing bacteria (now better prevented). Other examples of IDDs include AD/HD, compulsive disorders, and forms of autism such as Asperger syndrome. People with Asperger are generally intelligent and high-functioning, but socially misunderstood and misjudged. They simply interpret the world, behaviors, and thus social expectations and cues, differently.

Getting back to the Star Trek point, consider value. Famous people with Asperger symptoms include Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, Mozart and scientist Marie Curie. Stephen Hawking, once called "an unremarkable student," has cerebral palsy. Da Vinci, Babe Ruth and Van Gogh had ADHD. Presidents Kennedy and Eisenhower and Sly Stallone: learning disabilities. Howard Hughes had OCD and Tourette's. The list seems endless.

Different is often wonderful, if the rest of us give it a chance.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist with the Hagadone News Network whom everyone called "weird" in school. Email [email protected].