Self 1954

At times my mother would say to me “sweetheart, everyone has a disability”. She actually used the word “handicap”. Her caring, motherly words were meant to be supportive and make me feel that I was normal, no different than other kids despite the fact that I developed polio in the pre-vaccine 1950s. This condition which affected one leg has somewhat limited my mobility through years. Nonetheless, with the help of three orthopedic surgeries and temporary braces I was an active child that became an adult who enjoys hiking, kayaking, biking and swimming even now in my 70s.

I’ve wondered if this physical disability resulted in other aspects of myself developing more so than if I had not contracted polio. For example, a high verbal ability, manager of logistics and creative problem-solving, greater sensitivity to the suffering others, an enhanced immune system, a strong will and development of upper body strength - all characteristics of what I became. Or is such speculation just my way of psychologically compensating for an unfortunate twist of fate and these assets would have evolved anyway?

More recently, I heard of a football team at the California School of the Deaf-Riverside. All of the players and coaches are deaf yet in 2002 and 2003 they won the state championship in football. This remarkable story was chronicled in Thomas Fuller’s book "The Boys of Riverside: A Deaf Football Team and a Quest for Glory". How could this happen? Was there a way in which their deafness lent them a psycho-biological advantage, a “superpower” over hearing players?

David Corina, PhD a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California Davis offers several explanations for their success on the field. One, is that the deaf players (and non-players alike) are visually more aware of larger geophysical space that surrounds them than normal hearers; and second are more perceptive of objects moving in space. If you’re a wide receiver running for a catch this might clearly give you an advantage in catching a pass in a game. Given a larger field of visual awareness it also might provide more options with what to successfully do with the football when in a tight spot under defensive pressure. 

Conclusion: When one sensory ability or human resource is impaired or absent others naturally step up to maximize successful athletic performance and more broadly the chances of living a fulfilling life. Paralympians would surely agree, and I as well. So, if you’ve a disability, real or perceived consider how your other talents and personal resources might support your flourishing and thereby bring increased joy and satisfaction in living. Cheers -