This one is for the academics and you know who you are- it's our world too!
I have been following this debate with great interest. I think I can see
part of Simon's point.
I have worried sometimes over the years, that it is very easy for others to
accept people with hidden impairments (though not to make allowances for
those impairments). It is sometimes easier for the world to cope with
people with dyslexia or a nice quiet person with Aspergers who doesn't need
much help (I am not trying to denegrate AS), mainly because they don't
upset the apple cart too much. They can sit quietly and look socially
acceptable, their impairments don't shout out. So they are more acceptable
to the world and therefore don't feel some of the blatant abuse that people
with a more obviously physical impairment might feel.
I have seen a number of occurances in university and outside, where people
have been happy to accept people with hidden or less complicated
impairments (as long as the impairments don't get in the way, or are really
easy to accommodate), but will reject anyone whose impairment requires any
kind of complicated adjustment.
I can understand this - because people will automatically seek for the
easier life, and it is easier (sometimes) to accommodate disabled people
who need only a small amount of accommodation, and don't look too strange,
than it is to cope with others. Therefore many Universities and employers
might be really happy to employ people with mild dyslexia and impairments
that take very little accommodation, and then they can say - "we have
fulfilled our duty to the disabled" - without making much effort.
However, at the same time hidden or complex impairments can be (sometimes)
more disabling, because the world doesn't know how to handle them. They
know that for a wheelchair user you put in ramps, lifts and make doors
wider and light switches lower (that is do-able), for blind people you put
raised dots everywhere, for deaf people you speak clearly, and always face
them away from a window (if abosolutely necessary you got to signing
classes).
But how do you deal with the people with mental health difficulties? What
about those people who can't cope with social situations (and would rather
die). Or those that can't read ("they must be stupid" - the worlds opinion,
not mine!). Or those that have to have someone else feed them, or have to
have someone speak for them from a picture board. Or those that look
normal, but then start complaining that it hurts if they try to write or
shop or wash - but they look normal. Or those that collapse with fatigue
after going to a 1 hour lecture and are then too tired to work for the next
two days.
In some situations, some impairments look easier to cope with than others,
but if you were to move to a different situation things would change. I
know that some people need considerably more help than others in daily
life, and that because their impairment is obvious they get a lot more
immediate discrimination. And I know many people who went to "normal"
school, and experienced difficulties, are now being diagnosed with an
impairment, and that this can seem like everyone is jumping on the
impairment bandwagon. But this is more about people begining to understand
their strengths and weaknesses, their normalness and their impairment.
Maybe they can get away with more before they need help, but it doesn't
make them any less deserving of that help, although in many ways it can
mean they have a simpler life.
Does the grading of impairment then depend upon the amount of help you need
to carry out daily tasks?
This is certainly the grading that the world uses. And the way they can
cirmcumvent certain laws like the Disability Discrimination Act.
Anyway, I'm going to stop my taking now. Not sure if I've added anything
useful to the discussion. It felt like I was going to when I started
writing.
It is a very interesting discussion though.
Linda F.
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