Arts Access Newsletter Winter 2001

by Eric Peterson.

Oh, to be as young, innocent, and ready to take on the world, and anything, as Juliet when she offered us those prophetic words: "That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet." A few scenes later she realizes that life can not be that simple, and names can be very powerful, and sometimes have consequences we could not foresee, or have any power to change the way in which they alter our lives. It has been said A Rose is a Rose is a Rat? Me thinks NOT! Well, please endure my non-erroneous awareness and musings over not so sweet symbols and designations.

As a person with a disability, I have always had an interest in language. It is very unusual how words subtly affect us, and seep into our subconscious. They can have a marked effect on how we perceive individuals. Yes, a Rose will always retain that dear perfection, but were it called a rat, would we even get near it to experience this wonder? Shakespeare would have been much more adept in developing the plot point I am leading to - VSA is now Vision, Strength and Access . . . VSA.

People with disabilities, as a community, need to be recognized and thought of in a positive sense, and leave behind those earlier word associations that link us with inability. We need to eschew the idea of avoiding political correctness. Words can affect us profoundly. "'Tis but thy name that is mine enemy," and Juliet was most wise in her knowledge of the pen being mightier than the sword. Just before she expounds her most memorable thoughts on Roses, she cries out, "Oh be some other name." The disability community has been shouting that to the masses for many, many years.

"Very Special" carries with it the connotation that we are little children. This conjures up the image in most of us adults as being patted on the head, and certainly patronized. It implies the connotation that all of us need to be looked after, and can not fend for ourselves. As a community we are still young and starting to exert our independence. We need strong active words to be linked with our abilities and to change previously held perceptions that keep us marginalized. The international effort to bring about this change in our "name" is evident of that new VSA - Vision, Strength and Access!!! is our respectful, welcomed and creative future.

We are growing in our confidence as a culture, and asking, demanding, and most of all hoping, that we will survive our formative years, and emerge as these active and respected persons with disabilities, and some day just simply as plain old people.

As again with Juliet, VSA hath doffed our name, and for that name which is no longer part of thee, we celebrate "promoting the creative power in people with disabilities" through vision, strength and access - VSA.