The following letter offers a summary of the problems faced by people with disabilities. I hope you find it helpful. As an American with a physical disability, I am assumed to be a problem to be regulated.
Disability can be a frightening concept.
It is not difficult to find examples in film and literature about some unfortunate person who is struck down in his prime by an accident which leaves him suffering with a disability. Christopher Reeve is but one example, and much of his message is a search for a cure rather than acceptance. When a person with a disability lives the life he chooses, others find it remarkable that someone suffering the ravages of disability can do something other than be dependent on the kindness of others. By focusing so much attention on one aspect of Stephen Hawking, Charlie Rose failed to consider the person and expressed much more interest in the body that needed help. So much for the notion of recognizing people with disabilities as people.