Good for Sophie Currier

Annoyance?

When I first heard about the lawsuit over a break extension during a health exam for breast feeding time, I was a little annoyed. I felt that there were more important things to concern ourselves with. I felt angry at Sophie Currier for being so selfish that she took up the time of our legal system to tend to her ego, so that she can have yet another degree and climb up the meritocracy of academia. The fact that she is able to take the test over two days due to ADHD make me even more annoyed. Should they make the test easier for people with more significant learning disabilities?

Gratitude

Over the past week, I thought about it more and more. First my feelings changed from annoyance towards Sophie towards gratitude. I was glad that she brought the issue to light for us as a society where equality is important. The question is how we change our environment, standards, and protocols to accommodate the inequalities which are beyond judgment, like the inequalities of biology, economics, and sexuality. I still did not agree with the judges ruling that the break should be extended. As I mentioned before, if the break was extended for Sophie because she is breast feeding and conducted over two days because she has ADHD, why shouldn't the test be made easier for people who have more significant learning disabilities, or who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome and cannot study as much as their peers?

Is being a mom a disability?

Then I remembered a speech I attended while at an infertility conference this past year. The speaker discussed the issue of fertility treatments classified as falling under the American Disabilities Act. By classifying infertility treatments under the ADA, medical insurance will cover its treatment. So the natural question is whether or not the inability to procreate should be considered a disability. Personally, I think it should. The ADA classification for disabilities as I understand it is about as clear as the copyright fair use clause, though I think it goes something like this: if a person's condition prevents them from pursuing a normal life, then they can be considered disabled. Is procreation normal? I should hope so! Sophie, as a lactating mother is a "normal" person, and is not disabled. Therefore, if she needs 60 minutes of break time, then everyone needs 60 minutes of break time.

Blind Pilots

The classification of disabled is a double sided sword. Most people think of the ADA as a burden when it comes to building permits. Want to build an addition? You'll have to bring your building up to code, possibly including a wheelchair ramp. But does that mean that the blind should be able to become pilots? I have nothing against the blind, but I agree with the FAA restricting pilot's licenses to those with superior vision. The ADA was created to make sure people, disabled or not, are not discriminated against. Licensing exams as I understand them are meant to do the opposite. They are meant to qualify people, as either capable or not capable. Being disabled may immediately disqualify you for a license, as in the FAA's requirement's for pilot's licenses. If you are not at all disabled, as in Sophie's case as a lactating mother, you should at least be able to take the test without being discriminated against. I'm not sure if ADHD is considered a real disability, but I believe it is categorized as a learning disability to some degree. My wife (who is currently an OB/GYN resident) explained that people with ADHD are considered equally smart, but require additional time to process information. That might be OK for a psychiatrist, but I can't think of anyone who would want a surgeon who would require additional time to process the situation and decide what to do next. I acknowledge this is a poorly written post, I just had to write it up to start clearing up my own thoughts on the issue. I also fully admit that I'm in no way to qualified to make decisions about who is disabled, who is not, and what the best testing conditions are for evaluating medical competency. I share my writing with you in the hope that my personal perspective will compliment those views which have positively contributed to the situation thus far. Chances are, my opinions about this current event will continue to evolve, and remember, the contents of this blog represent only my opinion. Anyway, at this point, I support you Sophie, good for you for standing up and pursuing what you believe in. That alone earns my respect. And to everyone else - remember the old maxim - the squeaky wheel gets the grease!