No.159 / Sep 5, 2022
Recently, the ENA drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo has become a hot topic. The drama tells the story of Woo Young-woo, a new lawyer with both a genius brain and an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For most viewers in korea, drama is regarded as a fantasy. However, stories of people who achieved their goals show that it can become a reality. There actually is a lawyer in the United States (U.S.), Haley Moss, who shares many similarities with Woo Young-woo. She did not speak until she was three years old and was diagnosed with ASD. Nevertheless, she showed genius, such as excelling at puzzles and reading books, from the age of three, speaking from the age of four, and writing a book about ASD at the age of 14. She graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminology and completed the Doctor of Philosophy in law from the Miami School of Law. She is currently active as a Florida lawyer, artist, and writer. Based on her experience with autism, she has emphasized the need for change in society and reform of people’s consciousness, and the importance of the world accepting everyone’s mind.
Not only her but there are many people all over the world who live beautiful lives in various fields as members of society even though they have disabilities. Painter Park Dae-sung, who is called a master of Korean painting, is known as a painter who draws only with his right hand because his left arm was cut off when he was 4. He is also famous for creating his own world through self-taught art without formal art education. Painter Park’s individual exhibition was held in the U.S., in July this year. There are also other disabled artists who are creating their own beautiful art world.
Josh Sundquist is a 37-year-old comedian and former Paralympic athlete who lost his left leg to cancer when he was 9. His stories are diverse, including how to modify clothes to fit a slightly different body from others, lifestyle exercises, and love-related concerns. Also, he often stands on stage and humorously talks about his experiences. His stories show that disability is not strange, frightening, and hopeless.
People with disabilities are equal members of our society and deserve respect. Society should support the social participation of disabled people so that they can display their talents equally with non-disabled people and increase social interest and policies so that disabled people’s rights are well guaranteed. People should get rid of prejudices against them and look at them with equal eyes, not eyes of sympathy. A society in which disable people are alienated and neglected outside of social interests and policies should no longer be repeated. As it is a community where various people live, consider how to treat the disabled people, and how to accept them if you have a disability. People with disabilities do not have to feel intimidated by being disabled or pretend to be someone else. Disabled people and non-disabled people are really not that different.
By Kim Da-hye, AG Reporter
disney4195@ajou.ac.kr
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