Marlene,
Thanks. I am pleased that I got at least one response before I went away
(any more than a week off and I'd miss the Mailbase too much). Would I have
been better received if I'd said that it was my experience that this was the
case? I have worked with, as customers and colleagues, and have friends who
are acquired spinal chord injured people, they do not reflect the whole of
the group, of course, but neither would Masakuni's experiences. However this
is the experience some born disabled people have of some acquired disabled
people (I've often been told that I don't understand disability because I
use crutches rather than a wheelchair and have not lost the ability to walk
as I never had it in the first place) and it is important to recognise that
this type of view exists and that it is discussed (as Masakuni points out
about Deaf people and they way some view their issues as about culture and
language more than about disability) .
When I got in today there was also the posting asking about identifying the
leaders of the disability movement and there is a possible contradiction if
we say that there are leaders but there are also divisions in the disability
movement. Are there separate leaders, or perhaps prominent thinkers, from
the acquired spinal injury group, the congenital spinal malformation group,
the visually impaired group, the learning disability group, etc.. There
probably is but this was not what was asked for.
I've also stated on this Mailbase before that I think that the idea of a
disability movement is flawed (and it is only my opinion so as valuable or
as valueless as that makes it) and that what there is in reality is a loose
coalition of like minded but very different sets of groups and individuals
with very different sets of views and priorities (so different in fact that
if Society hadn't given us all the label of being disabled we may never have
felt that we belonged together) discussing and arguing over the issues so
that some sort of compromise can be reached, because, as you quite rightly
point out, it is wrong to assume and generalise.
In between my course writing I am more than happy to continue this
discussion via e mail rather than the Mailbase (as I don't have access at
home although feel free to copy me in to anything posted to the Mailbase)
and my home e mail is [log in to unmask]
> ----------
> From: marlene l.[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 03 May 2001 15:22
> To: Curry, Paul
> Cc: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Request of information on interaction among physically
> disabled
>
> Paul,
>
> It sounds like you need more than a week off! You are lumping ALL
> spinal cord injured people from the one group that you work with and to
> assume and generalize I believe is wrong on your part!
>
> Marlene Craven
>
> "Curry, Paul" wrote:
> >
> > 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______________________
> > >
> > > Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
> > > are now located at:
> > >
> > > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
> > >
> > > You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.
> > >
> >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Name: InterScan_Disclaimer.txt
> > InterScan_Disclaimer.txt Type: Plain Text (text/plain)
> > Encoding: 7bit
>
IMPORTANT: This message, together with any associated files or any other material
attached to it, is a confidential communication and is intended only for the use of the
Individual(s) or Body to whom it is addressed. It may be subject to legal privilege or
may contain information which is confidential in nature, is subject to Copyright or
may constitute a Trade Secret. It is intended solely for the person it is addressed.
If you are not the intended recipient please notify the sender at:
Luton Borough Council
Town Hall, Luton
LU1 2BQ
England
as soon as possible,
by telephone on Luton (01582) 546000 or
by using the reply facility in your e-mail software and delete the message from your system.
|