Well said! Adults stare, too, so why wouldn't kids? I find that smiling and waving works wonders for anyone staring at me. It either opens the door for them to come talk to me (and offer to help), or lets them know I see them too, and it seems to break their "trance".

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Yeah I love breaking the trance lol!

Splendid how you identify and use "teachable moments" so effectively.

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

I try!

I love when kids (or adults) ask questions about my hearing aids or the fact that i use sign language to communicate :) i think when people talk openly the knowledge really helps dismantle the stigmas associated with disabilities

@EmpoweredPara

7 ай бұрын

I bet kids who meet you remember, forever, why sign language is important!

I've gone to many of my nieces and nephews early grade schools talking about my stuff. They had all kinds of stares and questions. It was awesome every time.

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Kids are awesome. Adults suck lol

From someone with not as serious disability, I agree with you 100%. Thank you 😊.

Smile and say “Hello”. I think I’ve done this most of my life, and Brittney, I appreciate that you’ve reinforced this. It’s on the “offering to help” part that I sometimes struggle. Even with personal friends who have a disability. I never know when to offer. I’ll try to take the advice here and always offer and then heed the response.

@rollwiththepunches5932

8 ай бұрын

We live in a world were no one says hello or offers people help, everyone is so consumed with themselves and selfish.... if your a person that wants to offer someone help and they get offended thats there problem because your a nice person coming from a good place im a quadriplegic

@JamesSmith-pm9gp

8 ай бұрын

@@rollwiththepunches5932 I find that in my world that the majority of people are kind and considerate. They are willing to help their fellow woman/man. I feel that I am blessed to be around these people.

@user-zs8mf6sw8h

8 ай бұрын

Care for people in Weelchair

@user-zs8mf6sw8h

8 ай бұрын

Your a very attractive woman

Very good video and list. For me being a double leg amputee full time wheelchair user, I prefer them just start will "hello". It does not bother me when people stare. I always try to make it a teachable moment if I can. My most asked question seems to be how can I drive a car? I love sharing how hand controls work. I drive a convertible which allows me to lift the wheelchair in more easily. I think that just saying hello to people helps break the ice. Thank you for the great videos.

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Yeah a,simple "hello" goes a long way!

I 100% agree with you. Thank you for making a video on this topic. More people need to know that it's ok for kids to approach us or ask questions. I get mad at parents who scold their kids for staring at me.

glad you covered this. I also wonder if you'd rather ppl ask if you need help with something, or just leave you alone to figure it out?

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Definitely prefer people to ask me if I need help! I'll politely decline if I don't want the help but I am so grateful when I do need the help and someone offers!

@1hipcrip771

8 ай бұрын

I always appreciate offers of help!

@Bexar2204

8 ай бұрын

I´m the exact same way @@EmpoweredPara

@edl5731

8 ай бұрын

You should approach this the same way with disabled as you would anyone else. If you see someone that appears to be having difficulties, ask them if they need help. If they say, "yes", help them. If they say "no" move along. Don't ask if someone if they need help, if they don't appear to need it. Of course minor stuff, like holding a door open for someone should be done automatically -- disabled or not.

@ThisNameWasTooLon

8 ай бұрын

Thx. all this stuff is super informative and helpful.@@edl5731

Thank you Brittany very good job, informing the public on how they should act around disabled people love that keep up the good work Jim Morgan by the way, do you still process of Pete and the Alberta children’s charity?

Children are very curious by nature, i love that setting good examples is the whole topic. I was made fun of so much in school, kids can be cruel sometimes!

Loved this video. I walked on crutches since the age of 3 due to polio and now found myself in a wheelchair most of the time. When I was a child it bothered me more when kids stared but as an adult it doesn’t bother me at all. I agree with your views on it for sure. It bothered my kids more when others would stare than it bothered me. They would get mad at the other kids for starring. I had to teach them that it was human nature and that it was okay. Thank you for everything you do!!

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Yeah it definitely bothers my kids more than me when people stare. I'm too busy living my best life to care! I honestly don't even notice half the time lol. I'm oblivious haha

I had a 3 yr old call someone weird out loud about someone with a facial deformity. It was so embarrassing. I responded "People aren't weird. We're just all unique," and the lady responded, "No, I'm weird. Just ask my husband." and laughed it off. It still embarrasses me.

@EmpoweredPara

7 ай бұрын

Best response ever from that lady lol

I use it as a learning opportunity, I’d much rather the child inquire about the chair or disability. I always felt information quells the negative type of ignorance

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Yeah, all kids want is an answer to their curious thoughts. Once they get that, they go back to caring less about you and more about themselves lol!

@SoleEpiphany

8 ай бұрын

@@EmpoweredPara yes 🤣

I've never been bothered about kids staring at me (T12 para). It's the teens and adults staring that I don't appreciate.

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Yeah over 10 it's just weird!

This was such a great video and informative for those of us with younger kids. Totally agree with you. Grumpy asshole made me LOL. Many of those around both able bodied and with a didability. 😂

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Hope you have some great conversations with your kids next time they see someone they are curious about!

#4 is important if you are the disabled. Although I find the face of uncomfortable parent so funny when they freeze momentarily not knowing what to do. Hee, hee, ... yeah. I'm an asshole😂😂😂😂

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

It is pretty amusing watching the wheels turn in their head haha.

Very helpful video… I agree to smile and engage …

I agree 100%!

I know I get much more upset than my wife when people stare at her. In the past, I’ve sometimes lost my cool and said something, but I realize that making the other person really uncomfortable isn’t the most useful thing. Fortunately as we’ve gotten older, the staring seems to happen less. Partially because my wife walks better now with a simple aid than ever before (who knew?), and partially because most people our age now have their own “issues”. And I hope I’ve learned something from all your videos.

Imo one should teach their kids to not stare at any one; i'm a punk so... when someone stares at me that use to mean "confrontation", that's not the same (stare) that trying to guess someone else's mood, IFF, Identy Firend or Foe by looking (not staring) at the person, imo that's the right thing to do; if you're curious you gonna be curious most likely until the last day, stare at someone imo that's invade that person's personal space, i think that everyone have the right to live their day without being observed as this was the zoo, imo that's not right.

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

It depends on the age of the person lol. Under 10, stare away, over 10 then don't be a weirdo, either talk to me or stop staring lol

i stare at people sometimes and im 45 in a chair 🤣😀 kids are kids i dont care what they say or ask even adults. i think a combination of teaching kids to be polite and teaching wheelchair users to manage there emotions a bit more people get offended way to easy these days

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Lol! I love that. Let's teach more adults to chill out! You're so right!

I read this when you first posted it, but I decided to do some research with my clients before responding. I work with clients of all ages who find their physical, emotional, or developmental differences make adjusting to the wider world difficult. Discussing staring people, especially children with 60 clients, I found that all would consider it uncomfortable and rude. More importantly, many clients dealt with childhoods marked by derision, bullying, and exclusion. A staring child can be a trigger for these clients, producing anything from mild reproach to the staring child, to a vitriolic verbal attack to physical aggression. These are Americans from various backgrounds. My strong suggestion to you is to teach your children that staring is offensive, as are uninvited questions.

Before watching this video, I'll comment first. No don't teach them to stare or ask questions. They're curious, and I'm interesting.

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

You are interesting! I just talked about you today to a class!

Wheelchair user here. I disagree. Staring is rude. I'm also not in this world to educate children I don't know. I don't want to talk to any random stranger and answer their questions. You wouldn't expect non-disabled people to answer health-related questions to any stranger either. I'm neither grumpy nor an arsehole but I strongly believe that I don't have to satisfy everyone's curiosity. Hint: This is also related to being self-compassionate.

@EmpoweredPara

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your perspective! Totally valid 👏

Please make a video on exercises which you do ?

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

for fitness or stretching?

@sunilsheoran31

8 ай бұрын

Both

I’m a C5/6 quad…totally agree!!!

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

love you youtube handle lol! It belongs on a t-shirt!

@1hipcrip771

8 ай бұрын

Thanks. I’ve made a few videos myself. Been working on a logo…

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

@@1hipcrip771 That's awesome! We need more quad content!

I use a wheelchair and I am not grumpy, but please. I do not like being stared at any more than non disabled people like being stared at. I am not grumpy but I do not like being questioned p about my body any more than non disabled people like being questioned about my body. It is rude to connect on people’s bodies in general. All bodies. If your kids points and says any of these, would you think it is ok? Why are her breasts so big? Why does he have so many pimples? Why is she so fat? Why is he so bald? Why is her face weird? Why does he walk hunched sideways? I just want to exist in the world without having my body be the topic of conversation. Sorry.

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

I would absolutely think it's normal for my kids to comment on any one of those aspects of someone's body when they were little. Remember, in this video, I'm talking about young children asking questions and using those questions as teaching opportunities to develop empathy. I'm not talking about being stared at by adults. I also don't make a habit of caring about what others say to me. I have too much confidence and too much to be grateful for to let what other people say or do bring me down. I build relationships and educate when and where I can, but I'm not easily offended when people mess up and say something dumb. We are all different, though:)

Great video!. As a disabled person in the L4-L5 club, I say yes, let kids stare all they want, as long as they´re not overly rude about it, with comments like "wow, look at that disgusting man" etc... I´d much rather that children obviously stare, then them trying to hide it. Kid = >8yr

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Yeah definitely younger kids lol. Gets weirder when people stare thr older they get. If someone is an adult and they're curious then I'd much rather they talk to me than just gawk at me lol

Hey, I'm a cripple, stare all you want,hell laugh too. Just don't point, I hate that shit!😅

Hi have you been in contact with Makayla Noble she is a young female that had a accident like yours . Cheers Phil

Actually kids are intentionally rude lol little toddlers always smile when you smile first but for the older kids it kinda feels like theyre thinking of memes for later lol

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Haha the meme generation 🤣. We definitely have to watch out for people that would rather find ways to exploit us than get to know us!

nice one Brittney.💯% ( just smile) can i email you.?💔💔💔

@EmpoweredPara

8 ай бұрын

Yep you can email me! empoweredpara@gmail.com