<Maybe the term 'be positive' is one of those mindsets advocated ( and
overused) by professionals, society etc as a way of 'overcoming' impairment.
And in turn diminishes/quashesthe voices and experiences of disabled people.>
Yes, I think you will find this to be true and to put this in front of
activists, would be like waving red rag to a bull and quite rightly so.
We hear this (let's talk about something positive) often within the
restricted growth community and it is generally used as a strategy to
either shut people up or move people into another direction.
Another strategy to keep 'disabled people down' is the issue of feelings. Be
careful in case you hurt someone's feelings and how many times is this used
to shut disabled people up? I remember it well from the old Day Centre Days
- It s called keeping the lid on things and whose feelings are we actually
talking about here, the disabled persons or the professionals?
This is not me "lacking empathy" or "being insensitive" though some people
will believe only what they want to believe. I have seen too many disabled
people kept down and out of the picture because of language and behaviour
like this.
Yes it's certainly negative not positive and an infringement on freedom of
speech and please think about how difficult it is to challenge 'possitivity'
like this because if you do, it will automatically label and stigmatise you
as being 'negative'.
Regarding the hierarchy of impairment issue, isn't it interesting how these
ideas manifest? (and that neuro diversity is a fake!) I don't for one minute
believe that anyone in the neuro diversity debate is pushing for a hierarchy
of impairment, this is all propaganda (again). All we are seeking is a
recognition that our impairment exists at all and some kind of rights to go
with it, is that too much to ask?
Liz Fetes
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