The View from Where I Sit

Tag: misconceptions

  • DANNY TURNS DOWN THE….

    DANNY TURNS DOWN THE….

    By: Daniella Jade Lowe

    Danny was a young Para-Superhero. Nobody had seen or even heard of a neurodiverse superhero. He had an adaptive costume for all occasions. His wheelchair was faster than the speed of lightning.

    Being born as a Para-Superhero, made Danny quite the ‘oddball.’ He was birthmarked to defy genetic dispositions. He demanded respect wherever he went.

    As a Para-Superhero he always wanted to prove people wrong which made him ambitious.

    ‘A superhero is supposed to save the day,’ he thought.

    ‘How can I save the day as a Para-Superhero?’ Danny thought to himself.

    Unfortunately he inherited the nickname, ‘supercrip.’

    As Danny got older he could not tolerate the stigma that came with being a Para-Superhero. Too many titles from society caused him to lose who he was. As a result, he suffered an ‘identity crisis.’

    Danny already dealt with physical limitations. He didn’t want people’s labels too. It brought intersectionality to his personality.

    The mainstream world saw Danny as ‘privileged’ but ‘abnormal’ when all he wanted was ‘acceptance’ which often led to discrimination.

    ‘What is normal?’ Danny would think to himself.

    ‘Normal is the setting on a dryer!’ he concluded.

    This one stereotype has repeated itself so much that it resounds like a broken record to Danny.

    His mother reminded him, ‘It’s not about what they call you, it’s what you answer to!’

    Stereotypes were his handicap. Danny had two options, either take life lying down or be motivated to live up to his own goals and expectations. So he started a war on stereotypes with archetypes.

    This war included fighting against exploitation of disabilities, deformities, misconceptions, and negative portrayal of disabilities. ‘Disability is not a taboo!’ he said. Inclusion is not a delusion.
    • Heroes don’t need to overcome their disabilities.
    • Wheelchairs aren’t exclusively for older people.
    • We are not “inspiration porn”.
    • Who said you need to walk in order to be a hero?
    ‘Let’s have a ‘big conversation’ on stereotypes,’ Danny exclaimed!
    ‘Stereotypes exist, definitely, but that’s why we should listen to the individual voices of disabled people over non-disabled charity voices’ Danny said!
    Danny says, ‘Let me tell you how to deal with the terrible power of stereotypes.’ ‘Disable the label!’ Assumptions are lazy. Statistics should not affect status.
    • Change the stereotypes. Challenge the ‘status quo.’ Upset the fruit basket. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.
    • Buffer the stereotype threat through shifting self perception to positive self affirmation.
    • Reframe the stereotype threatening task as a challenge. See a stereotype as a chance to prove people wrong instead of getting offended over it.
    • Reinterpret the anxiety that comes with stereotype threats. In other words, ‘don’t take it personal’ and make bold steps to overcome them.
    And that’s how Danny turned down the stereotypes!

  • Mythbusters!!!

    “Myths and Misconceptions“

    People make silly assumptions about people with disabilities. Many people form preconceived ideas about the disabled community at large. From personal experience, here are just a few: MYTH 1. DISABILITY IS A DEVASTATING PERSONAL TRAGEDY WITH NO CURE.
    • The Truth- The lives of disabled people are not tragic. The solution to disability is to remove the environmental and attitudinal barriers which are the real causes of the disabling process.
    MYTH 2. SOMEONE WITH A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION IS LESS INTELLIGENT.
    • The Truth- There is no connection between mental health and intellectual ability. A quarter of people in the UK will have a mental health condition at some time in their lifetime regardless of their IQ score.
    MYTH 3. BLIND PEOPLE ACQUIRE A SIXTH SENSE.
    • The Truth- Other senses may be used to gain accurate information but there is no such thing as a sixth sense.
    MYTH 4. CHILDREN SHOULD NOT ASK PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR DISABILITIES.
    • The Truth- Some adults find the natural, uninhibited curiosity of children embarrassing. Reprimanding children for asking questions may cause them to think there is something ‘bad’ about disability. Most disabled people will not mind answering a child’s question.
    MYTH 5. DISABILITY AND ILLNESS ARE INTERRELATED.
    • The Truth- Disabled people are not necessarily sick but are subject to the same illnesses as any other person.
    MYTH 6. DISABLED PEOPLE ALWAYS NEED HELP AND MAY BE DEPENDENT.
    • The Truth- Being physically unable to do something does not cause dependency-not being able to drive is solved by using the services of a bus or train company. Disabled people may require different services and it is only when choice over those services is removed that dependency occurs.
    MYTH 7. MOST DISABLED PEOPLE ARE UNABLE TO HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS.
    • The Truth- People with disabilities, like other people, are sexual beings. They can have relationships and children.
    MYTH 8. DISABLED PEOPLE ARE BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS.
    • The Truth- The experience of disability requires an adaptation of lifestyle rather than bravery and courage. It should be viewed, in many ways, as similar to any other significant life event.
    MYTH 9. WHEELCHAIR USE IS CONFINING- USERS ARE LITERALLY ‘BOUND’.
    • The Truth- A wheelchair, like a shoe or a car, is a mobility aid that enables a person to get around. Wheelchair users are restricted by an environment that has been designed for able-bodied living.
    MYTH 10. THE EXPECTATIONS OF DISABLED PEOPLE DIFFER FROM OTHERS.
    • The Truth- Disabled people go to school, work, form relationships, do their laundry, eat, get angry, pay taxes, laugh, have prejudices, vote, plan and dream like anyone else.
    So now that I’ve exposed these myths, this article should bring awareness and end the stigma of disablism and ableism.