In that rather speculative article, I was not suggesting that disabled
children go to segregated schools or are steered into disability or
impairment groups. Rather, I was trying to contrast the experience of
disability with the experience of being a woman, or a member of a
particular ethnic group. In the latter cases, other family members
share your status, and it is taken for granted and not problematised.
There are, hopefully, positive role models.
For disabled children, just as with lesbian and gay young people, this
is quite likely not the case. Parents are usually non-disabled. This
can be isolating for the young person. People may either minimise their
difference, or think of it negatively. They may end up with a positive
sense of self, but it might be one that has no room for their impairment
(denial or ignoring their impairment, thinking of themselves as 'really
normal'). Lesbian and gay people talk about 'coming out', which is the
process of rejecting the stigma, and celebrating the difference. Many
of us think that many people who grow up disabled go through a similar
process when they encounter disability politics.
I think it is an interesting question how best to raise a disabled child
to be confident and secure and positive in their identity - whether to
minimise impairment, or to celebrate a political disabled identity. I
think people should have disabled and non-disabled role models.
More and more I tend to agree with those who see identity politics as a
double edged sword.
Happy new year.
Tom
-----Original Message-----
From: Marijn Meijles [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 23 December 2002 13:39
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Obstacles to identity formation
Hi,
I was browsing through the online archive at the University of Leeds
when I stumbled across an article by Tom Shakespeare called 'Disability,
identity and difference' (chapter 6 of 'Exploring the divide').
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