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A positive deviant is someone who adopts some surprising behaviors. They’ve got their own work-around to a tough challenge facing peers and the community. Even though they have the same, or even fewer, resources than the folks around them.
Mike and Liz are a couple we got to know in Australia. With loads of positive deviant behaviors. Liz has had MS for the past 30 years. But they haven’t let that stop them from leading a full life. Trips abroad. Dinner parties. Painting. Reading. Gardening. They’ve just had to cleverly adjust activities, over time, to fit with what Liz can physically do.
Pascale and Tyron are another couple. Even though she’s been wheelchair-bound for 18 years Pascale didn’t stop dreaming about going surfing. And Tyron and their mates found a way to make it happen. With a little help from duct tape.
In our on-the-ground work, we’re always on the look out for positive deviant behaviors. We want to understand how & why people have adopted them – so we can enable others to adopt those behaviors too!
You can read more about Positive Deviance here.