A lot of people are born having different eye colors, heights or longer pinkie toes.

Some are born disabled.

But just because some people are born with disabilities, does that mean they should be treated differently? I think not.

“I would like to be treated like every other person because I’m capable of opening my door,” said freshman accountancy major Ronnie De La Cruz, who is disabled. “If I seriously can not do something, I would like someone to help me.”

De La Cruz is just one of many students at Sacramento State who is permanently disabled.

However, if it wasn’t for the visible aspect of his disability, no one would be able to tell the difference – especially when it comes to a person’s personality.

I was taught “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and I have religiously lived by this statement. If someone acts like a jerk, whether they are able-bodied or disabled, that person shouldn’t be surprised if they get a mean stare and attitude in return.

“If you have a student who has a disability and they may be acting in an inappropriate way and they don’t know it, then I think there needs to be tolerance in that,” said Jamie Jones, learning disability specialist at Services to Students with Disabilities.

However, with a disability also comes responsibility. Just because a person is disabled doesn’t mean things should be handed to him or her.

“I’ve actually had to report one or two students for cheating and trying to use their disability to try and get out of things,” said Eugene Lozano Jr., disability management counselor and access specialist at SSWD.

Lozano, who is blind, has been a respected counselor at Sac State SSWD for more than 35 years.

“I think these individuals would have done it even if they did not have a disability, I think it’s more personality,” Lozano said.

Disabled or not, personality has no handicap. If you’re a jerk, you’re a jerk.

There are exceptions to the rules of karma. If an act is uncontrollable due to a disability, such as Tourette’s syndrome or cerebral palsy, then acceptance is necessary. However, if you can control your actions, there’s no reason for someone to baby your personality.

Just because a person has a disability doesn’t mean his or her life is any different. There are a number of successful people with a medical disability who have defied society’s status quo.

We also have a lot of students at Sac State who have succeeded beyond expectations.

“A lot of the disabled would be more immersed into their academic studies because they know the degree is going to make the greatest difference,”Lozano said.

Society needs to realize people with disabilities are no different than others.

As people, we all had the same process: we were raised by our parents, learned from our teachers, experiences and adapted into adulthood. If a disability has been thrown into life, so be it.

People should always be considerate of others’ situations in life, whether it is a disability or something else. However, if you’re going to be an ass, you’re going to be treated like an ass.