Like Other People

In October 1975, Eleanora Gambino was working on hermasters degree in special education at Southern ConnecticutState University in New Haven, Connecticut. One of theclasses that she was taking was a course on cerebral palsy. One night, a documentary entitled Like Other People was shown. It was about two young people who had cerebral palsy and wereplanning to get married. Eleanora was newly engaged to be marriedto a man who has cerebral palsy. Eleanora was born with cerebralpalsy. She identified with many of the experiences the couple in thedocumentary was being subjected to. At the end of the documentary, the professor asked individualswhat they thought of the documentary. One member of the classalways arrived late and would sit near the door. He was a speechtherapist. Eleanora always arrived early and would sit near thewindows in front of the room. He never observed Eleanora walking. At that time, she walked with the classic scissors cerebral palsy gait. When the professor asked the speech therapist what he thoughtof the documentary, he replied, The documentary is unrealistic. Disabled people are too involved in themselves. They cannot love.