PERCEPTIONS MIGHT BE DECEIVING
We think people are classified as Abled and Disabled people, but this classification is misleading! There are only differences in abilities, we often forget about this aspect of our diversity. There are not Able and Disable bodied people, they are all different probabilities on a Distribution of abilities. A Normal Distribution!
Putting people in categories change the way people think, is it necessary? They no longer see the person but only the prostheses or the impairment. Ironically, this is often not that person’s biggest challenge, but if you do not know the person the challenge is assumed. The problem is thus not spending enough time to know the person and the challenge. We don't have time because we have an obsession with performance.
We think people are classified as Abled and Disabled people, but this classification is misleading! There are only differences in abilities, we often forget about this aspect of our diversity. There are not Able and Disable bodied people, they are all different probabilities on a Distribution of abilities. A Normal Distribution!
Putting people in categories change the way people think, is it necessary? They no longer see the person but only the prostheses or the impairment. Ironically, this is often not that person’s biggest challenge, but if you do not know the person the challenge is assumed. The problem is thus not spending enough time to know the person and the challenge. We don't have time because we have an obsession with performance.
If I swim faster or win at golf with one arm, what is disabled then?
Disability is only a name. An unfortunate name of a category with a stigma of non-ability which nobody deserves, irrespective of your ability. I never refer to people who struggle with mathematics or do not know a second language as disabled, but if you have an impairment, visible or invisible, why is it then different?
Rather refer to Different Ability, it is safer for everybody! Irrespective of an impairment.
Have you formed your opinion about disability before or after you had an experience with impairments? Have your opinion changed after you picked up a temporary or permanent impairment? People with Disabilities are not second-class citizens, the fact that processes are not designed for them does not make us less of a person. In fact, the reality that processes are not created for disabilities strengthen the wrong perception that disability are an exception and does not need attention. It is not an exception; disabilities are a part of our society!
It is often the rules and the facilities in the environment that cause an impairment to classify a person as a “Person with a Disability” (PwD). If all environments apply the universal design principles the excluded people can be much less. With different rules and different facilities, a person can be more independent and live a different life.
Are the rules necessary or just convenient, and is it unreasonable to create more inclusive facilities? We make a fuss if there are no female bathrooms, but do we feel as strongly about bathrooms for the disabled, or do we argue that it is “not my problem”? Let the People with Disabilities (PwD) pursue this issue. The thing is challenges are a natural part of our society.
In our society it is not us and them, it is WE!
Disability is only a name. An unfortunate name of a category with a stigma of non-ability which nobody deserves, irrespective of your ability. I never refer to people who struggle with mathematics or do not know a second language as disabled, but if you have an impairment, visible or invisible, why is it then different?
Rather refer to Different Ability, it is safer for everybody! Irrespective of an impairment.
Have you formed your opinion about disability before or after you had an experience with impairments? Have your opinion changed after you picked up a temporary or permanent impairment? People with Disabilities are not second-class citizens, the fact that processes are not designed for them does not make us less of a person. In fact, the reality that processes are not created for disabilities strengthen the wrong perception that disability are an exception and does not need attention. It is not an exception; disabilities are a part of our society!
It is often the rules and the facilities in the environment that cause an impairment to classify a person as a “Person with a Disability” (PwD). If all environments apply the universal design principles the excluded people can be much less. With different rules and different facilities, a person can be more independent and live a different life.
Are the rules necessary or just convenient, and is it unreasonable to create more inclusive facilities? We make a fuss if there are no female bathrooms, but do we feel as strongly about bathrooms for the disabled, or do we argue that it is “not my problem”? Let the People with Disabilities (PwD) pursue this issue. The thing is challenges are a natural part of our society.
In our society it is not us and them, it is WE!