Hi,
> Firstly, I think "age" of when the impairment occurs is
> crucial to how people understand their identity in terms of
> disability. Christopher Reeve's injury occurred later on in
> life, so the impairment was in conflict with his long term
> view of himself. For others who have grown up with an
> impairment, this will often be a crucial aspect of the
> person's experience and therefore identity.
May I second this with a comment from personal experience?! I am
partially deaf and have been since birth. Four years ago, I experienced
nerve damage resulting in severe mobility difficulties which has
gradually improved to a plateau this year.
I do not have such a problem with my deafness, despite the fact that
with hearing aids I can hear and communicate very well. It is not a
problem to me, and the most wonderful thing happens every night when I
go to sleep and take my hearing aids out - one morning I awoke to find a
car had crashed in my front garden and barely two metres from my
downstairs bedroom window. Naturally, I slept very well that night.
The other issue is my legs is that I know what it's like to have walked
before without any difficulties. The thing that saved me was during my
undergraduate studies was my Social Work placement at D.C.I.L. in Ripley
and the lessons I had learnt from the Social Model. This was such a
powerful influence that it is now how I practice in my professional
life, despite the fact that at university I was excluded in many things
because I had a walking stick and became frustrated as I lagged behind,
which seemed to validate non-disabled people's impression that it was
best to leave me behind anyway. At those times, I wanted a cure so I
could beat them by a stick!
Before I go on, I'm new here, so this means my academic learning in
disability is only just starting having only just graduated in S.W.
studies. So do feel free to correct and challenge during my journey of
learning and personal/professional development.
Before my surgery a few years ago which disabled me, I had wanted to
climb Everest as a life goal - whether it will happen or not is another
matter. My dream was shattered when I became disabled with my mobility
and this changed my identity considerably. Like Reeve, I grieved about
the new disability, despite the fact that I had been disabled with my
hearing all my life though been a hidden disability I never saw it as a
disability at all - just that other people with the problem in not
making themselves clear to me.
Reeve and myself are of those disabled people who can compare and
contrast the differences during our life stages and development, and
have a much more difficult time when one part of our identity is taken
away. Reeve replaced that empty identity with his newfound goal to find
a cure, and I want to replace my empty identity with a goal to be 'fit
for Everest' and am seriously considering a disabled person's project to
get there. I suppose the point is that I don't want to find the cure
because I recognise that might not happen, but if anything, I can damn
well sure find a way of beating the disability and showing not just
myself, but other people that we can go about with making the most of
what we have with what we've got.
I think getting society and Joe Public to appreciate aspects of
disablism to non-disablism and show that inside we aint green-eyed
monsters. Isn't is about making positive use of a positive image of
disablism, which thus helps those who become disabled later in life?
Secondly, how can this cure and identity be tackled when in fact Joe
Public may not really not want to know because of persisting 'I'm
alright Jack!' identity!
Just a wee thought!
Krystyna
--
Krystyna Haywood
Sheffield, UK.
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