Don’t Ignore Them

Today, while freelancing for Oculus Rift I met a disabled guy. He was an awesome, super smart, and happy guy. Oculus Rift is a little side job for me where I give for a few hours a week for some product demos to interested people. However, today I saw this guy in a wheelchair and he had an exciting view onto the VR glasses. You really saw his eyes shining while having a sad facial expression. His look expressed a fascination for the Oculus Rift and sadness because of he though he is not able to test it.

I saw his interest immediately and instead of ignoring him I asked him: “Hey, don’t you want to try the Rift out?”. He started smiling and he maneuvered his wheelchair towards me. “Yes, sure I’d love to” to reply. His excitement even increased when I explained to him that it’s absolutely no problem to test it while sitting in a wheelchair and that I am dead serious about what I offered him.
So he ended up testing an Oculus Rift demo. He hat a place from a rooftop building in New York City, he saw an alien, and a dinosaur. He was so excited and fascinated and I saw on his face how glad he was that I asked him to try it.
His face expressed happiness. He was happy that someone asked him instead of ignoring him. Today I learned that many more people should interact and talk to disabled people. Especially when you clearly see that they are mentally able to have a conversation with you. Stop ignoring them. Smile, talk and treat them like everyone else. This will not only make their day but also yours.