The intellectually disabled community has more freedom, respect and compassion from the world around them today than ever before. Even though most of us are thrilled to see people with intellectual disabilities thrive in the world, not everyone feels the same way. There are some people who don’t understand how things work and how independent most people with these conditions can be! That’s what this episode of “What Would You Do” with John Quinones aimed to tackle. Would people side with a man verbally harassing another customer for his disability? Or would they rush to defend the disabled man?
According to the National Down Syndrome Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every 700 babies in the United States are born with Down syndrome. Since it occurs so often, Down syndrome is actually the most common chromosomal condition – more than 6,000 babies are born with this in the United States every year. Due to the prevalence of Down syndrome, a massive amount of resources have been allocated to making sure this group gets the opportunities, support and sense of community they need! In the last decade, people with Down syndrome have been welcomed into the business world, can hold esteemed positions in local government and are helping shape society. Even with all of the positive things that the intellectually disabled community has done for the world, there are still small-minded people out there who have hate to spew…
Sadly, that’s what happened inside this restaurant. A man with Down syndrome sat at a table and waited patiently for the waitress to take his order – just like we all do when we eat out! But when the waitress approached his table and began to explain some of the menu items, another man spoke up. He wasn’t helping the disabled young man select a meal. He was verbally harassing him instead! People in the restaurant couldn’t believe their eyes. How could someone treat another human being with such disrespect? See how other patrons handled the rude restaurant goer in the video below. Would you do the same thing?