Soul Surfer Comparison

Society does not seem to realize that just because you're disabled doesn’t mean you are unable they’re absolutely extraordinary people, we just have to give a chance to let them show their true potential. Just because they cannot do something the same as doesn’t mean that they are incapable.

The amount of people who live with disabilities is a controversial number. Depending on what law and diagnostic tools used, a person may have a visible disability, or one that may lie beneath the surface of his or her appearance. Some people believe that the term “disability” is merely a label use to hold back, or prescribe helplessness. Meanwhile, individuals who have been properly diagnosed with disabilities struggle to maintain respect and acceptance every day. In plain language, there is a lot of misunderstanding between people with disabilities and those without. It is firstly important to get everyone on the same page regarding the definition of disability.

In the video “Inclusion, belonging, and the disability revolution” (TEDTalks, 2014), speaker Jennie Fenton opens with describing situations where people with disabilities are segregated and excluded from their communities, sent to live together away from society, or even treated as lesser humans. She then proceeds to introduce her family, including her six-year-old daughter that was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Jennie admits to previously having negative or frightened thoughts about having a child with a disability, but with her “seven realizations,” she learned that her daughter was merely on a different path than others, but that no one should ever feel broken or not a whole person (TEDTalks, 2014). After she explains that there are roughly one billion people with a disability throughout the world, Jennie states that she believes in possibility over disability. If a person’s

In this quote Bethany, the narrator is describing the surfing and its pros and cons. This quote is significant because it she shows why surfing is important to her.She describes the overall negative consequences of surfing but how its apart of the game. In the end all Bethany wants to do is surf and she will overcome anything to surf.

Stella Young’s TedTalk “I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much” discusses the various ways in which those living with a disability are often viewed differently for doing the same mundane things those living without a disability do. In her speech, Young claims that people are lied to about disability. She tells a story about how she was teaching and a student raised his hand asking when she was going to begin her inspirational speech since the only interaction with a person with a disability prior to her class revolved around a person giving an inspirational speech. Young then goes on to state that the world is deceived by “Inspiration Porn” and which leads to the idea that those living with a disability are “objects of inspiration”. She jokes that no matter how long she sat at the bottom of the stairs having positive thoughts that would not get her to the top of the stairs. Young concludes her speech by saying she wants to live in a world where disability is considered the norm and not the exception.

In this case, becoming a professional surfer. Bethany didn’t even let her arm getting ripped off stop her from success. Bethany Hamilton didn’t have many weaknesses, but she did have one that affected her greatly. All she cared about was surfing. Rather than going to Mexico with her youth group, Bethany chose to stay home and surf. This is when she was attacked by the shark.

She was very strong minded, determined and persistent. Bethany never gave up on her dream of being a professional surfer because she was not afraid anymore. She was not particularly afraid of getting attacked by another shark because she finally conquered her fear of never surfing again.

In Cammie McGovern’s novel, Say What You Will, she definitely dismisses “overcoming” the disability. The author shows that just because someone has a disability does not mean that they have something to overcome, they just have to find their own way of living with the disability. Amy does not pretend that she is normal, she knows she is different, but she doesn’t let that stop her from carrying out a fun, loving teenage life. “We can dwell on our limitations, or we can push ourselves past them” (McGovern, Loc 1014). In this quote, it is clear that Amy is saying it is obvious she has limitations, but we can always push ourselves past them.

Bethany shows a great deal of perseverance through her journey. Even with the tragic loss of her arm, she didn’t give up her dream to become a professional surfer. After being discharged from the hospital, Bethany tried more than four times to catch a wave, but finally she prevailed. Her family was ecstatic when she stood on the board

She couldn’t swim, she couldn’t run, so she decided to make her own. With a group of experts, Aimee was able to make suitable legs that not only let her swim and run, they looked real. This showed where she could’ve given up, but wanted to try her best. Similarly, Bethany Hamilton, after losing her arm, decided to learn how to surf one handed. It was very difficult, but she knew she was born to be in the water.

She was motivated to surf again. “The day before Thanksgiving, Bethany went to the beach for the first time since the attack” (Shark Attack Survivor

It made a lot of things harder for her, but that doesn’t mean she gave up. Surfing was a big part of her life, and giving that up wasn’t going to happen. It was a rough process, but Bethany eventually gave up her fears and got back on her board. Lifeguards and doctors say it was her determination and faith in God that got her back up. In January 2004, Bethany made her big return in surf competitions. Her first competition after getting back on her board, she placed 5th place. With no intention of stopping, Bethany continued to enter and excel in competition. As Bethany put it, “It was what God had taught me growing up that helped me overcome my fear and get back on the board. ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go’ (Joshua

Bethany kept her vow because just one month after the attack she resumed surfing. “Life is a lot like surfing when you get caught in the impact zone, you’ve got to just get back up. Because you never know what may be over the next wave. (QuotesGram).

The idea of a ‘disability not being a limitation’ is explored in Andrew Stanton’s film, which focuses completely upon living with disability and, of course, the ultimate adventure that it brings. Similar to the fin-impaired and weak Nemo; the film’s main character of Dory struggles with forgetting what she is doing, who people are and things she has learnt yet despite this, she inevitably succeeds on her own terms. Dory is not isolated within the film, a vision impaired shark and an octopus with a missing tentacle are featured thus reinforcing the idea of acceptance despite adversity and being different.

Approximately 15% of the world’s population is, in a way, disabled. Whether it is a physical disability or a serious chronic disease, we have about one billion people in the world that live with a disability every day of their lives. It often occurs that these people are seen as an outcast of society; people that cannot live normal lives. It is important to realize that this is not true at all. People with disabilities are completely able to be part of the world. It is just the world’s duty to accept them.