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There’s common, there’s typical, there’s no normal

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There’s common, there’s typical, there’s no normal... if we can change this paradigm from one of achieving normalcy to one of possibility or potency... we can release the power of so many more children and invite them to engage their rare and valuable abilities with their communities.” [clip is from 13:15-13:56]

“There’s an important difference and distinction between the objective medical fact of my being an amputee and the subjective societal opinion of whether or not I’m disabled. Truthfully, the only real and consistent disability I’ve had to confront is the world ever thinking that I could be described by those definitions.” [clip is from 9:29-9:51]

1. Do you agree with her claim that there is no normal? Why or why not?
2. Do you agree that there is a difference between the medical fact of having a certain
   condition and the opinion of society as to whether that condition makes a person disabled?
3. What was the definition of disability that you wrote down prior to watching Aimee Mullin's ted talk? How do you think Aimee Mullins would respond to that definition? Is there anything about your definition that you would change after this discussion?