I really enjoyed today's class discussion.  I think that everyone has been faced with someone with a disability or have been disabled themselves.  I don't think that we can lump everyone with disabilities into one type.  Yes, there are examples of people like Bethany Hamilton that will struggle for a bit, but then continue life like not much happened, but there are some people with disabilities that 'want' the pity party.  This can go for anyone though, there are some people that will take what life throws at them and keep chugging along, while there are others that will shirk back in society and succumb to life's hardships.  I agree with what Darren said, disable people are people.  There was also a mention today of giving disabled people a false sense of hope when others with disabilities are hailed hero's and they might not have the same potential.  I believe all kids grow up having dreams of athletic or musical greatness.  Taking away a part of a kids childhood by telling them straight up that they won't ever achieve that sort of greatness would be worse in my opinion than giving them a false hope.  At least with that hope they will work at something they want to achieve, and who knows, maybe they have what it will take to achieve greatness.  People with disabilities don't have any less potential than able bodied people, they just need to stop being told that they can't do what normal people can do.