1.Unit1MARTYSSTORYHi,mynameisMartyFieldingandIguessyoucouldsaythatIamoneinamillion.Inotherwords,therearenotmanypeoplelikeme.Yousee,Ihaveamusclediseasewhichmakesmeveryweak,soIcan'trunorclimbstairsasquicklyasotherpeople.Inaddition,sometimesIamveryclumsyanddropthingsorbumpintofurniture.Unfortunately,thedoctorsdon'tknowhowtomakemebetter,butIamveryoutgoingandhavelearnedtoadapttomydisability.Mymottois:liveonedayatatime.UntilIwastenyearsoldIwasthesameaseveryoneelse.Iusedtoclimbtrees,swimandplayfootball.Infact,IusedtodreamaboutplayingprofessionalfootballandpossiblyrepresentingmycountryintheWorldCup.ThenIstartedtogetweakerandweaker,untilIcouldonlyenjoyfootballfromabenchatthestadium.IntheendIwentintohospitalformedicaltests.Istayedtherefornearlythreemonths.IthinkIhadatleastabilliontests,includingoneinwhichtheycutoutapieceofmusclefrommylegandlookedatitunderamicroscope.,Evenafterallthat,noonecouldgivemydiseaseanameanditisdifficulttoknowwhatthefutureholds.OneproblemisthatIdon'tlookanydifferentfromotherpeople.Sosometimessomechildreninmyprimaryschoolwouldlaugh,whenIgotoutofbreathafterrunningashortwayorhadtostopandresthalfwayupthestairs.Sometimes,too,Iwastooweaktogotoschoolsomyeducationsuffered.EverytimeIreturnedafteranabsence,IfeltstupidbecauseIwasbehindtheothers.Mylifeisaloteasierathighschoolbecausemyfellowstudentshaveacceptedme.Thefewwhocannotseetherealpersoninsidemybodydonotmakemeannoyed,andIjustignorethem.AllinallIhaveagoodlife.IamhappytohavefoundmanythingsIcando,likewritingandcomputerprogramming.MyambitionistoworkforafirmthatdevelopscomputersoftwarewhenIgrowup.LastyearIinventedacomputerfootballgameandabigcompanyhasdecidedtobuyitfromme.Ihaveaverybusylifewithnotimetositaroundfeelingsorryformyself.Aswellasgoingtothemoviesandfootballmatcheswithmyfriends,Ispendalotoftimewithmypets.Ihavetworabbits,aparrot,atankfulloffishandatortoise.TolookaftermypetsproperlytakesalotoftimebutIfinditworthwhile.Ialsohavetodoalotofwork,especiallyifIhavebeenawayforawhile.Inmanywaysmydisabilityhashelpedmegrowstrongerpsychologicallyandbecomemoreindependent.Ihavetoworkhardtoliveanormallifebutithasbeenworthit.IfIhadachancetosayonethingtohealthychildren,itwouldbethis:havingadisabilitydoesnotmeanyourlifeisnotsatisfying.Sodon'tfeelsorryforthedisabledormakefunofthem,anddon'tignorethemeither.Justacceptthemforwhotheyare,andgivethemencouragementtoliveasrichandfullalifeasyoudo.Thankyouforreadingmystory.Marty2.Unit1ALETTERTOANARCHITECTDearMsSanders,IreadinthenewspapertodaythatyouaretobethearchitectforthenewBankstowncinema.Ihopeyouwillnotmindmewritingtoaskifyouhavethoughtabouttheneedsofdisabledcustomers.InparticularIwonderifyouhaveconsideredthefollowingthings:1Adequateaccessforwheelchairs.Itwouldbehandytohaveliftstoallpartsofthecinema.Thebuttonsintheliftsshouldbeeasyforapersoninawheelchairtoreach,andthedoorsbewideenoughtoenter.Insomecinemas,theliftsareatthebackofthecinemaincold,unattractiveplaces.Asdisabledpeoplehavetousethelifts,thismakesthemfeeltheyarenotasimportantasothercustomers.2Earphonesforpeoplewhohavetroublehearing.Itwouldhelptofitsetsofearphonestoallseats,notjusttosomeofthem.Thiswouldallowhearing-impairedcustomerstoenjoythecompanyoftheirhearingfriendsratherthanhavingtositinaspecialarea.3Raisedseating.Peoplewhoareshortcannotalwaysseethescreen.SoI'dliketosuggestthattheseatsatthebackbeplacedhigherthanthoseatthefrontsothateveryonecanseethescreeneasily.Perhapstherecouldbeaspaceattheendofeachrowforpeopleinwheelchairstositnexttotheirfriends.4Toilets.Fordisabledcustomersitwouldbemoreconvenienttoplacethetoiletsneartheentrancetothecinema.Itcanbedifficultiftheonlydisabledtoiletisinthebasementalongwayfromwherethefilmisshowing.Andifthedoorscouldbeopenedoutwards,disabledcustomerswouldbeveryhappy.5Carparking.Ofcourse,thereareusuallyspacesspeciallyreservedfordisabledandelderlydrivers.Iftheyareclosetothecinemaentranceand/orexit,itiseasierfordisabledpeopletogettofilmincomfort.Thankyouforreadingmyletter.Ihopemysuggestionswillmeetwithyourapproval.Disabledpeopleshouldhavethesameopportunitiesasable-bodiedpeopletoenjoythecinemaandtodosowithdignity.Iamsuremanypeoplewillpraiseyourcinemaifyoudesignitwithgoodaccessfordisabledpeople.Itwillalsomakethecinemaownershappyifmorepeoplegoastheywillmakehigherprofits!Yourssincerely,AliceMajor3.Unit2SATISFACTIONGURANTEEDLarryBelmontworkedforacompanythatmaderobots.Recentlyithadbegunexperimentingwithahouseholdrobot.ItwasgoingtobetestedoutbyLarry'swife,Claire.Clairedidn'twanttherobotinherhouse,especiallyasherhusbandwouldbeabsentforthreeweeks,butLarrypersuadedherthattherobotwouldn'tharmherorallowhertobeharmed.Itwouldbeabonus.However,whenshefirstsawtherobot,shefeltalarmed.HisnamewasTonyandheseemedmorelikeahumanthanamachine.Hewastallandhandsomewithsmoothhairandadeepvoicealthoughhisfacialexpressionneverchanged.OnthesecondmorningTony,wearinganapron,broughtherbreakfastandthenaskedherwhethersheneededhelpdressing.Shefeltembarrassedandquicklytoldhimtogo.Itwasdisturbingandfrighteningthathelookedsohuman.Oneday,Clairementionedthatshedidn'tthinkshewasc