I think you can do anything in this life whether you're in a wheelchair or not. I go to festivals, nightclubs, I travel the world, I'm loving my work on Triple J.
There are people out there with disabilities doing amazing things but unfortunately they don't get the chance to show off - they don't get out of the house and get amongst the general public, and when they do, often the public doesn't know how to handle it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People with disabilities are achieving great things, but often lack opportunities to showcase their abilities due to societal barriers.
Dylan Alcott's quote highlights the hidden talents and capabilities of individuals with disabilities who are often overlooked by society. Due to various barriers, including lack of access and public misunderstanding, these individuals may not have the opportunity to exhibit their skills or engage fully in public life, despite their significant accomplishments. It calls attention to the need for greater awareness and inclusivity to allow these individuals to share their abilities with the world.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote would be powerful to share in a speech at a disability awareness event.
More from Dylan Alcott
All quotes →I don't get out of bed every day to play to win a tennis tournament, I honestly don't. I do it because I love it, but it also provides me with a platform to do what I really want: which is to continue to change the perceptions around disability.
When I turned on the TV or the radio, and flicked to the newspaper, I never saw anyone like me. That's what I struggled with the most. I loved Pat Rafter. I couldn't be Pat Rafter. I watched Rove McManus and I couldn't be Rove either.
I questioned whether anyone would love me because I'm in a wheelchair.
My purpose is changing perceptions so people with disability, people like me can get out there and live the lives that they deserve to live.
People used to stare at me when I was growing up because I was in a wheelchair, and I hated it. Now they're staring at me because they know me. How amazing is that? It's 'Oh, that's Dylan!' Not, 'Oh, there's a guy in a wheelchair.'
Similar quotes
You aren't nearly through this adventure yet.
It wasn't until I was 14 and watched the 1976 Olympic games on television that I really started to dream about the big time. I remember seeing Evelyn Ashford in the 100 meters, and she was going to UCLA.
So here is why I write what I do: We all have futures. We all have pasts. We all have stories. And we all, every single one of us, no matter who we are and no matter what’s been taken from us or what poison we’ve internalized or how hard we’ve had to work to expel it – – we all get to dream.
The dream didn't fade as dreams usually do upon waking.
Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope!
Without heroes, we are all plain people and don't know how far we can go.