{"id":3788,"date":"2013-06-03T10:00:54","date_gmt":"2013-06-03T15:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/?p=3788"},"modified":"2013-06-11T16:24:00","modified_gmt":"2013-06-11T21:24:00","slug":"voices-of-the-voiceless-man-with-spina-bifida-just-wants-a-little-respect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/2013\/voices-of-the-voiceless-man-with-spina-bifida-just-wants-a-little-respect\/","title":{"rendered":"Voices of the Voiceless: Man with spina bifida just wants \u2018a little respect\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<style><!--\n\/* Font Definitions *\/\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Times;\n\tpanose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:\"\uff2d\uff33 \u660e\u671d\";\n\tmso-font-charset:78;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:\"Cambria Math\";\n\tpanose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Cambria;\n\tpanose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\np.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n\t{mso-style-unhide:no;\n\tmso-style-qformat:yes;\n\tmso-style-parent:\"\";\n\tmargin:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"\uff2d\uff33 \u660e\u671d\";\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}\n.MsoChpDefault\n\t{mso-style-type:export-only;\n\tmso-default-props:yes;\n\tfont-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"\uff2d\uff33 \u660e\u671d\";\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}\n@page WordSection1\n\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\n\tmargin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;\n\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.WordSection1\n\t{page:WordSection1;}\n--><\/style>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3797\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3797\" style=\"width: 181px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mifflin-Version3.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3797 \" alt=\"Mifflin-Version3\" src=\"http:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mifflin-Version3.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mifflin-Version3.jpg 181w, https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mifflin-Version3-169x300.jpg 169w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 181px) 100vw, 181px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3797\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twenty-seven-year-old Michael Mifflin was born with spina bifida, a condition that has left him paralyzed below the waist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">Disrespect is nothing new for Michael Mifflin, who was born with spina bifida.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">In high school in Winnipeg, he was shoved into lockers and had his canes stolen and hidden by other students.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">As an adult, he navigates public transit with canes and a wheelchair, an effort sometimes greeted with impatient eye-rolling and complaints from comfortably-seated transit users. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">Mifflin\u2019s birth defect left several spinal vertebrae deformed, consequently exposing and damaging parts of the spinal cord. This resulted in limited brain signals to muscles and body organs below the damaged area. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">Mifflin is paralyzed below the waist, a condition that does not improve with age.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"><span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0<\/span>\u201cWith age, it gets you,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s catching up to me. Most doctors are surprised to hear that I\u2019m 27 and I\u2019m still around. Doctors said that I shouldn\u2019t have made the age of\u00a02 because of my disability.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">Frequent bullying in high school prompted Mifflin to drop out before graduation. He is currently taking the remaining classes required to obtain the high school diploma that he was denied by a misinformed student body. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">Mifflin says even those who intend to help are ignorant to what physically disabled people truly need. He says those who wish to assist him when his wheelchair is stuck, or when he is trying to fit his wheelchair into the locks on a bus, do not understand that people with disabilities require a degree of independence. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"><span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0<\/span>\u201cMany people just assume that I need the help when I don\u2019t,\u201d Mifflin explains. \u201cAll I want is a little respect. If you see I\u2019m having trouble, it\u2019s OK to help, but ask first.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">Cory Funk, former respite worker and Summer Program Director for Camps With Meaning, affirms Mifflin\u2019s desire for independence. In an interview, Funk describes working with a man with cerebral palsy. <\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3802\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3802\" style=\"width: 270px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mifflin1-Edited.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3802 \" alt=\"Mifflin1-Edited\" src=\"http:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mifflin1-Edited.jpg\" width=\"270\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mifflin1-Edited.jpg 270w, https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mifflin1-Edited-253x300.jpg 253w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3802\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mifflin&#8217;s girlfriend, Emily Wiebe, says the most important aspect of accommodating people with disabilities is accepting them.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"><span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0<\/span>\u201cRespecting [the person\u2019s] autonomy is huge,\u201d Funk says. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">\u201cA lot of people with disabilities, their goal is to be as independent as possible. When interacting with someone with a physical disability, whether in a working environment or on the streets, it\u2019s important to understand that they\u2019re pursuing that independence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">The pursuit of independence is evident with Mifflin, who asks little of others (besides respect), and is highly active in the local power wheelchair hockey scene. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">His team, The Red Bulls, is currently 18-0 in the Manitoba Power Wheelchair Hockey Association. Mifflin plays power forward and has been a significant part of the team\u2019s success over the last eight seasons. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">He has also taken part in wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">These modified sports provide a sense of independence for participants, and illustrate that physically disabled people are capable of doing things for themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">Mifflin claims that attitude changes are the main force in achieving respect for disabled people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">\u201cAttitudes are truly the biggest disability of all. People need to change attitudes towards people like myself if disabled people stand a chance to be properly integrated into society.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">Though there is legislation and other structures in place to help the physically disabled in Winnipeg, Mifflin\u2019s girlfriend, Emily Wiebe, says the most important aspect of accommodation is the acceptance of others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">\u201cYou can modify a building to be accessible all you want, but if you have a negative attitude toward the disabled, then it isn\u2019t really all that helpful,\u201d Wiebe says. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">\u201cThe biggest barrier is not an inaccessible building\u2014it is an inaccessible attitude.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">Michael Wiebe is a student at Canadian Mennonite University and the brother of Emily Wiebe, the girlfriend of Michael Mifflin. Michael Wiebe <\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\">wrote this article as part of his work in the course Journalism\u2014Principles and Practices. \u201cVoices of the Voiceless\u201d is a class project that aims to chronicle the humanity of often-ignored people on the margins of our community.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Disrespect is nothing new for Michael Mifflin, who was born with spina bifida. In high school in Winnipeg, he was shoved into lockers and had his canes stolen and hidden by other students. As an adult, he navigates public transit with canes and a wheelchair, an effort sometimes greeted with impatient eye-rolling and complaints from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[156,376],"tags":[406,404,435,436,84,403],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3788"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3788"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3874,"href":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3788\/revisions\/3874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cmu.ca\/media_archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}