The worst disability is ableism, in that one afflicted with it will not adapt.
By ableism I mean the unfounded assumptions by an able-bodied person about what another person with a disability can, cannot, should, or should not do.
To their miraculous credit my fellow karateka have risen to every occasion to work with me. Despite fear of hurting me or of being injured themselves by my splints they have done whatever is necessary to include me on drills and practices. They have waited patiently while I stood dazed in the center of a fighting circle until my blood pressure regulated and my vision returned. They have attacked or defended more gently when the exercise involved smaller joints. When I have needed my crutches they have worked with me around them, accepting without question that they are to be interpreted as an extension of my person. My classmates are the sterling model of full inclusion.
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