Jan 2011 16
Question by ClooneyIsAGenius: Why does “disability” mean “physical disability” to many people?
Why, in general, when I tell someone ____ has a disability that think that ____ is going to come into the room with a wheelchair, or no arm, or… with some obvious physical disability? They dont think about mental disabilities.
Best answer:
Answer by tonygrh12
because most people r stupid. disability means u only need a w/chair. I am physically disabled but I have a son who is autistic and also registered disabled but because he looks ‘normal’ they think he is trying to screw the system, or he is just thick. It is caused by lack of understanding .
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i have epilepsy and i am classed as being disabled according to the disability act
sociological expectations probably
my boyfs aspergers is always over looked, all the damn time
so i get ya!
additional
ha ha
your gonna love this
i forget to factor my OWN disabilities in cos im so programmed by society
sucks!!!!!
agoraphobia and social phobia are not looked at any beter either, im lazy tis all……..;-(
Unfortunately, mainstream society have preconceived stereotyped ideals about Disabilities. These preconceived stereotyped ideals about Disabilities need to change.
My only child is medically registered and legally registered as a Person With Disabilities (PWD). My child was born with Autism and Mental Retardation. There are various people that think that Autism is a “Mental Illness” but Autism is NOT a mental illness.
I am medically registered and legally registered as a Person With Disabilities (PWD). I was born with various physical Disabilities. I do not have Mental Retardation but there are various people that think I have Mental Retardation just because I am a Person With Disabilities (PWD).
because mental disabilities wern’t acknowledged until after physical disabilities.
I think part of it is because the physical disability and sensory disability groups are more vocal, they are almost always the ones producing disability discrimination ads and campaigns.
They even go so far as to put physical/sensory disabled people in the news when discussing issues on learning disability… that annoys me, I saw a news show about learning disability discrimination recently where the only person interviewed was VI and talked about the discrimination visually impaired people got throughout the whole article. Which is discrimination in itself- to think learning disabiled can’t speak for themselves.
It’s mostly ignorance. It’s incredible how many people don’t realize that not all disabilities are visible. Many kinds of physical disabilities are invisible to the naked eye and of course many mental disabilities are as well.
Also, because some disabilities are more obvious and visible than others, people tend to automatically remember first the ones they actually SEE from time to time. They sometimes see people in wheelchairs, amputees or blind people for example, so I guess it’s natural that they come to mind much easier than disabilities like pain, mental illnesses, learning disabilities and other invisible disabilities.
I have spent the vast majority of my life in one way or another with / around / working in some form to do with people with a spectrum of disabilities.
I generally do not look as if I am ‘disabled’ – in spite of only being able to use one arm and have growing mobility problems, some deafness + tinnitus and various other (spinal) health (serious) problems.
I’m 6ft 2in and look healthy and BUT have had it said to me, ”You don’t look disabled!” in a challenging sort of way.
In spite of all of that (and having done some 6 years of voluntary work with MIND), I too CAN STILL be quite human and have expectations like the one you have described.
My mother and my wife over the years have made the same mistake of handing me a cup of tea and then a plate of sandwiches …totally forgetting that I can only use the one hand.
When people can see a ‘disability’ it is easy to register in the eye and in the minds eye. Where a mental / behavioral disability is concerned, it can often simply NOT register because it is not something that is seen and therefor tangible ….even by me.
I’ve even heard one fully trained nurse ask a carer ‘whether a physically disabled man in a wheelchair takes sugar’ ? ~ whilst he was quite capable of hearing and answering her himself.
Dumb, but human.
Sash.
You are right about this of course. The other one that I personally encounter is that people often don’t take into account the ‘hidden’ disabilities. I have a number of such disabilities, but you can’t tell just by looking at me. So, it is often difficult to explain to people why you can’t do things that they do, or just can’t do things some days. It is very difficult expecially whem people press the point and expect you to explain your entire medical history to them, which they usually promptly forget until next time you have to refuse something, or can’t go some place or to some event, or can’t eat after a certain time etc etc. It is very boring really. And I do know what you mean. I have a lovely nephew with the type of disability you describe, but it is not immediately obvious to strangers. It can cause confusion for him sometimes.
In part because the international symbol of disability is a wheelchair – and it is a constant remind of physical disability. There is no symbol that is as familiar to all that represents other disabilties. The wheelchair symbol permeates your brain and causes unconscious preconceptions.
same reason that people see my son Alex and think his cuddly just Cos his got downs its bloody ignorance Hun
i my self have epilepsy and in some way as having a mental disability .by law if i was to get a sticker or a plate that says i am handicap i could park in a handicapped spot
they are technically correct to assume such
there are physical disabilities,
mental disabilities,
and developmental disabilities
so, unless you specify –
they’ll expect the wheelchair!
I have multiple sclerosis. Sometimes I need my stick and other times not, depending on how my legs are working!! It’s always safer to use my stick, however, because people can see I am disabled and they’re more careful around me. If I don’t use it I look able bodied and can easily be knocked over. It’s sad that generally people only think of ‘disabled’ as physical. My condition can also affect my ability to hold a conversation, think and co-ordinate but I don’t plan to wear a sign round my neck!
some people only believe in what they can see. My mother is like that. My son had some mental problems and she says it is bad parenting even though he sees a doctor and is on medication.
People are so narrow-minded that they only judge by what they see or what is stereotypically seen. I have a severe mental disability, & people don’t look at me as disabled. They just look at me as “crazy”. What’s so crazy about OCD, anxiety, & depression?
If they can SEE the disability then that’s ok in their eyes….anything that is not so apparent means they might have to ask questions.
Disability can happen to ANYONE & I’ve found that the biggest problem with the able-bodied person is – fear.
They are scared that they could become disabled in the future because their vision of what it would be like & what it is like are 2 different things.
Shame the folks that drink & drive aren’t the ones who are fearful of disabilities though! xx