re: For example, in my fieldwork experience in self-help groups for
spinal
cord injured, many participants told me that they
distinguish themselves
from persons with congenital motor disabilities. The reason
was that persons
with acquired disabilities had participated and contributed
to society in
the past, on the other hand congenitally disabled had not.
OK so we know that the acquired spinal chord mob can be a little arrogant at
times and that lots of disability discussion is, quite rightly, based on
their views because they are better than those of us who were born disabled
but it's a secret that's not supposed to be spoken about openly. It's far to
simple to say that I can't walk and they can't walk so we are equal.
I'd love to read any responses but after today I'm taking a week off from my
full time, paid, managerial career to actively not contribute to society by
writing a training course on how Day Care staff can start to identify and
support disabled people to look at moving to employment, maybe I shouldn't
bother.
Paul
> ----------
> From: Masakuni Tagaki[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To: Masakuni Tagaki
> Sent: 03 May 2001 07:42
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Request of information on interaction among physically
> disabled
>
> Dear list mates
> Nice to meet you, my name is Masakuni Tagaki in Japan. I subscribed to
> this list serve recently. I have physical disability because of birth
> palsy.
> Today I would like someone to tell me works on interaction of physically
> disabled in development or frame of reference they use when they regard
> other physically disabled as "peer". I am doing research on life-span
> development of persons with motor disabilities by qualitative method. On
> the
> process of disabled persons' development, interaction with friends or
> "significant others " who have also disability contribute for the person
> to have self-esteem, shape identity, and protest against negative images
> and
> devaluations. This theme may be linked to group dynamics or identity of
> participant in self-help/mutual support interest groups. Especially, I am
> interested in how participants in a self-help group deal with
> "difference " of each other. Participants in any self-help groups have
> common backgrounds or attributes, on of which always given stigma or
> negative image by society. Therefore they can share their experiences each
> other. However, it is impossible for all members to have the same
> background
> completely.
> For example, in my fieldwork experience in self-help groups for
> spinal
> cord injured, many participants told me that they distinguish
> themselves
> from persons with congenital motor disabilities. The reason was that
> persons
> with acquired disabilities had participated and contributed to
> society in
> the past, on the other hand congenitally disabled had not. . Maybe this is
> similar to the controversial concept (or a social movement) "Deaf culture"
> , in which many deaf persons make differentiation between themselves and
> persons with mild or acquired hearing impairment. Of course, this
> reasoning
> seems discriminatory, I would never foster discrimination of minorities
> for
> minorities by minorities, though, and I think that we should focus on the
> phenomena before criticizing.
> Distinction does not always mean discrimination. If a person with
> disabilities want to understand himself/herself, comparing his/her
> situation
> with other's that is necessary. In the comparison process the person
> naturally make distinction. Another example is an interesting story a
> friend
> of mine told me, who has cerebral palsy, who told me. Though he
> enthusiastically had wanted his classmates to treat himself and the able
> bodied equally, after joining a self-help group he stopped his strong
> desire
> and started to deliberate his position in the physically disabled, what to
> do as a persons with physical disability. But, his meaning of "disability"
> mainly include motor disabilities. Hearing impairments, mental
> retardation,
> and mental disorder (Is this appropriate expression?) are excluded.
> This argument is not limited to disability, so, please regard
> disability
> as stigmatized something. G.H.Mead's idea or collective identity (story)
> and inner/outer group discussion in social psychology will be helpful.
> Though I did psychoinfo with the key words something like collective
> identity (story) and disability, I could not find useful information. I
> would appreciate any comments. Because it's hard for me to make myself
> understood in English, which is not my mother tongue, if anyone has any
> thing to question about the topic I mentioned above, please don't hesitate
> to ask.
> Thank you.
>
> ________________End of message______________________
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