Beyond Social Norms: Making Space for Human Diversity
There are plenty of people who don’t exist within the boundaries of existing social norms. Some individuals with developmental disability labels have a very distinct and valuable lens through which they see human interaction, and they move in ways that differ from how most nondisabled people have been socialized to move within social dynamics.
How we understand this—and the empathy with which we approach it—greatly impacts the way we encounter one another at Joyful Jarra, and out in the world.
It starts when we’re young
Kids who grow up receiving special education services in school do not have the same socialization experience as “typically developing” students in general education classrooms. If your formative years are defined by limited interaction with the majority of your peers, the skills developed through those interactions will, unsurprisingly, be limited.
But this is a two-way street.
Typically developing students are also impacted. If you have little to no interaction with peers whose schooling is defined by special education, you lack awareness of what this whole other part of the student body brings to the table, as well as the skills to relate to a broader diversity of people.
We’re the same, but we’re also very different
Another reason existing social norms are not so “normal” for some people has to do with the diversity of human expression and embodiment. Our social norms, by and large, do not account for the breadth of ways we, as human beings, exist in our bodies.
Because individuals with intellectual and developmental disability labels have historically been othered, marginalized, devalued, and dehumanized, the “accepted” social norms are not inclusive of their embodiments or the range of expression they bring to humanity.
What society often values or considers “good”—especially in adulthood—centers around productivity, independence, efficiency, and economic success.
But there are ways of being that, though they may be labeled otherwise, are valuable and necessary in the world. Ways that may not align with those norms, but are rooted in kindness, curiosity, love, and joy.
We’re all still learning
We all have toolboxes, and as we move through life, we add tools to them. Life experiences shape what tools we have and how we use them.
Everyone’s toolbox looks different. Some people have tools you may have never seen before and don’t yet know how to use.
There’s a common assumption that individuals with developmental disabilities are lacking tools. But it’s just as plausible that their toolboxes contain tools many of us were never taught to recognize or value.
At the same time, nondisabled individuals often lack the tools needed to meaningfully connect with people who exist outside the bell curve—those who are neurodiverse, neurospicy, or have developmental disabilities.
Building those tools matters.
Because building bridges for meaningful interaction and relationship between people with and without disabilities is essential to building a sustainable community. We all have something to learn, and something to share.
Expanding our perspective
It can take stepping outside of our comfort zones to shift how we view and interact with individuals who are neurodiverse or have developmental disabilities.
In my nearly 15 years of doing life—both personally and professionally—alongside individuals with developmental disability labels, I’ve come to recognize the profound value of their lives, their human expression, and their colorful embodiments.
Maybe someone’s “volume dial” is set a little higher.
Maybe they stand closer because they’re curious.
Maybe their language is direct.
Maybe they vocalize loudly or unexpectedly.
Is there really something wrong with that?
Or are these simply expressions of human diversity that we could create more space for?
Because whenever I do, my awareness grows—along with my empathy, understanding, and love for others.
That is a big reason why we’re working to grow our inclusive employment initiative. We want to empower individuals who are neurospicy and those who experience developmental disabilities, and to create a space where we can all grow in kindness and empathy.