The most amazing story
When I was 18 I worked at a special school where almost all the children had cerebral palsy. Most had severe physical and intellectual disability, unable to walk, talk, feed themselves or use the toilet. To communication, some used basic sign language (which I learnt) or a method called Bliss-symbolics based on pictures. I was often asked . . . "how do you cope" . . . "don't you find it depressing". Whilst it was a very physical job with lots of lifting, emotionally I didn't find it difficult at all. In fact I loved the job and never once looked at the children and young adults as "retarded", "disabled" or "hopeless" - I saw their smiles, their interactions and found it one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. Occasionally we would take the young adults into the city, the female staff would take the girls to look at clothes and do girly things, whilst the male staff did "men's things"...