Rosemary,
Both of your descriptions are somewhat stereotypical -- the individual who "uses their disability as an excuse" and the individual who presses on "despite their disability" (intoned in a deep, solemn, announcer's voice). In truth, the vast majority of people with disabilities are somewhere in the middle ground. Be careful about thinking that you will see either/or and trying to fit people into one category or another.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
