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People with Determination: Shifting Our Perspective from Disability to Possibilities
by: Dr. Elizabeth King, LCSW
This month's column is a little more personal than usual.
As an educator and psychotherapist, I typically write from a professional perspective, sharing research, insights, and practical strategies. This month, however, I'd like to share something much closer to my heart. These reflections come from my own journey of living with a disability for most of my life.
I was just three years old when I contracted polio. I don't remember life before it. Over the years, I've undergone 37 surgeries, learned to adapt, and discovered strengths I never knew I possessed. I wouldn't have chosen this path, but I also wouldn't trade the person it has shaped me to become.
In February of this year, George and I traveled to Qatar and Dubai. During that trip, I heard, for the first time, the phrase People with Determination, the term they use instead of "people with disabilities."
I have to admit, I became emotional the moment I heard those words. But what touched me even more was seeing them lived out every day.
I experienced a level of respect, dignity, and acceptance unlike anything I had experienced before. Everywhere I went, I was truly treated like a VIP.
That trip didn't just change my vocabulary. It changed my perspective.
It reminded me that true inclusion isn't just about ramps, accessible parking spaces, or laws. It's about how we see one another. It's about recognizing ability before disability and treating every person with dignity.
July is Disability Pride Month, an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities and to challenge the assumptions we sometimes make about one another.
I have always viewed my disability as an inconvenience, never a limitation.
It has challenged me, but it has never defined me.
The hardest part has been the assumptions others make: that I couldn't keep up, that I needed to be protected, or that my limitations were greater than my abilities.
Fortunately, my mom and my elementary school special education teacher never accepted those assumptions. They encouraged me to dream big, work hard, and never let my circumstances define my future.
Whether in the classroom, my therapy office, or through the Suits, Stilettos & Lipstick Foundation, I have had the privilege of mentoring extraordinary women who have overcome challenges of every kind. Some live with visible disabilities, while others face invisible struggles. Yet they continue to lead businesses, raise families, serve their communities, and inspire everyone around them. Their determination to thrive reminds me every day that courage quietly chooses to move forward despite life's challenges.
Instead of asking, "What can't I do?" I have always asked, "How can I do it differently?"
That simple question has guided my life.
The truth is, every one of us will face something that changes the course of our lives. It may not be a disability. It may be illness, grief, loss, or unexpected hardship. What matters most is how we respond.
I hope the next time you meet someone living with a disability, you'll look beyond what is immediately visible. See their talents. See their dreams. See their resilience. See the whole person.
Because when we shift our perspective from disability to determination, we don't just change our language.
We change lives.
Including our own.
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