Impaired? Yes. Able? Definitely. Disabled? Occasionally.
I know that I have made it unreservedly clear that I am not a fan of labels or political correctness for the sake of it. I guess that's because my interest, or at least where I think the crux of the issue lies, is not with what you call people but more about how you view them and, consequently, treat them. I am a big fan of human rights and seem to be quite happy with the label 'human being', although many people that know me might question this and try to redirect me to my home planet.
And when it comes to disability, I simply do not want to have to categorise people as being either able or disabled. I know that, for the purposes of legislation and for all sorts of other practical reasons, the word disabled must exist as a qualifier in order for so many of us to function in society; It is just that I do not want the folk that, for these purposes qualify as able, to think that the two categories are either forever fixed or are somehow separate when it comes to who we are as human beings and how we interact with each other.
On March 31, 2008, I was sitting in a room at Barclays HQ being trained by Leonard Cheshire as a mentor in the Ready to Start Program, which helps disabled people set up their own businesses. On April 1, 2008 I registered blind and became one of them. And from that day on, the world viewed me as a different person, but I promise you, I am not. I am still the same bumbling idiot that I always was.
I appreciate that the social model of disability has had an incredibly positive impact on the world we live in and I certainly would not want to be living in the days when the medical model was in force, but somewhere along the line things have gotten muddled. The original intention of the social model was to make some distinctions and to educate people about inclusion. 'Impairment' identifies a loss or limitation of physical, mental or sensory function whereas 'disability' articulates the social disadvantages resulting from society's failure to accommodate impairments. These terms were never meant to be interchangeable.
I know plenty of disabled people who are more productive, successful and happier than their able counterparts and they all have one thing in common. They have all overcome the stereotypes. They have all somehow said to themselves, in their own personal eureka moment, "screw convention", and were lucky enough to have the strength and the wherewithal to make it happen for themselves, but that is not the norm and most people who sit in the disabled category do not have the resources, whether those resources be emotional, financial or practical, to overcome the stigma, the prejudice and the barriers to opportunities that they face.
And strangely, pretty much all of those people who have managed to break through the barriers never actually refer to themselves as disabled. I guess that's because to them, they are not. They simply have impairments that they have overcome or adapted to. But something’s gotta give if all people are going to be recognised, accepted and celebrated for who and what they are. People are just people after all and we are all different, every single one of us.
About Sandi
Businesswoman Sandi Wassmer registered blind in 2008. In her blog, she shares with us the 'shenanigans of visual impairment'.
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Comments
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I am a 44 year old single female, was area sales manager, own penthouse and had just returned from holiday in antigua... had a great time! 10 days later i had 4 mini strokes, major stroke, diagnosed with hughes syndrome, was registered vision impaired and had 2 months in hospital on stroke trauma! Yes... life is very different now but I deal with it and i am still smiling and have not lost my sense of humor... It is other people attitudes that have changed towards me!! i have a support worker as i am unable to go out on my own which is difficult as i live alone! Stroke damage has destroyed my vision and left me with cognitive issues.. i used to manage a sales team, now I cant draw a clock..... I used to have dinner parties, now I cant boil an egg!! I just tell people never to judge a sausage by its skin!! I'm still mad as a fish and always will be!
Posted by Denise Burkill , 22 February 2010 (2 years ago)
