“I’m a filmmaker who has short arms due to the effects of the drug Thalidomide. The first thing people react to when they meet me is how I look. Even if they don’t say anything, they either stare or look away. They show that they’re uncomfortable around me. I can hardly blame them; I’m very uncomfortable about it myself. All my life I’ve tried not to think about my disability, tried to ignore the truth. Many disabled people find it hard to deal with the disgusted, confused or pitying stares they receive when they’re out in public. Society needs to get used to the way we look, and stop seeing us as beings from another planet. Of course we look different, but it is possible to see beyond that. I’ve found a way to help make that happen.“ (Niko von Glasow)