Living With A Disability
Spotlight: Jill Moore
The following post is the first spotlight of an ongoing series Living with A Disability. The series highlights an individual with a disability by having the individual answer a specific set of questions. If you would like to contribute please message me on Twitter. As always, feel free to leave any comments or questions.
How would you explain your disability in lamens terms?
I was born with a hole in my spine.
What is something that you would say you do better than most people?
I think I’m a lot better at accepting a challenge. You end up having to live and learn to accommodate daily and constantly. When you can’t reach something you have to figure out a way to get it to you otherwise you live without it. That translates to bigger and better things in life.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
My dad has this cheesy line “If you can’t stand up stand out.” And he repeats it. All the time. Oddly enough it stuck with me though. I find this wheelchair and disability a key to special sort of originality with lots of special experiences, and everyone is an expert at their own experiences. I find it cool to think that I can integrate my experiences with disability into the world in an original way.
What is something that you would wish you would have known growing up with a disability?
I wish I grew up knowing confidence. There always seems to be a stigma around disability that leads people to believe lots of negative things that typically aren’t true. I function and think just like everyone else, and it took me awhile to accept that by believing that, and showing I believe that, others eventually will as well. I didn’t develop that sense of confidence until recently and I think it would have made a big difference growing up.
What is something that you wish everyone knew about living with a disability?
I wish people knew that it’s okay to ask questions. I absolutely cannot stand the thought of someone not taking the time to understand something foreign to them just because they think they may say something politically incorrect. With a disability, we have to be prepared to teach a lot of people who aren’t familiar with our world if we ever want to see progress, and it’s tough to do that with everyone walking on eggshells.
How do you think your life would have been different if you didn't have a disability
I always say I would have been a gymnast. But other than that I don’t really know. I don’t think I would have found the level of athletics I compete in, I wouldn’t have the same friends, I wouldn’t have gone to this university and my perspective on mostly anything in my life would be completely altered. I don’t even think I would be in the major I’m in.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A friend of mine who uses a wheelchair told me once that they “hated being called inspirational because he’s in a wheelchair and does sports.” To this day I think that’s silly. Why does it matter? I find homeless people inspirational for plucking up enough courage to ask for money whenever someone walks by. I don’t think the inspiration is in something as simple as overcoming a disability. There’s no other option there. I think inspiration is relative to whom is being inspired, and if someone see’s being an active person with a disability as inspiring, then there’s no reason to hate the fact that it’s generated a positive in their life.
Currently, I attend the University of Illinois on a racing scholarship. I’m working to get into my major of choice, industrial design. With that, I want to work to revamp products available for people with disabilities. When I’m not racing, sleeping, or drawing, I’m on my computer listening to music, spending time outside, traveling, or scuba diving. I love to go places, and experience everything I can. My best way of doing that is traveling to compete in track events and marathons. I hope to continue traveling, and make my first Paralympic debut in Rio 2016. This year, I will be going to my 3rd Boston Marathon, Grandma’s Marathon in Minnesota, and hopefully two more in Japan as well as South Korea.
