No I simply meant any sensible definition of disability must be grounded in
physical reality. The word disability - DIS-ABILITY - means lack or loss of
physical or mental ability. The term itself is inherently negative because
the reality is. It is conceived as functional loss following disease, injury
etc - the original impairment . At its simplest it states some obvious
bio-medical facts: blind people canšt see, deaf people canšt hear, spinal
injured people canšt walk, etc. This is 'loss' at a physical level and
doesn't necessarily have anything to do with psychological loss which some
list-members seem to think.
Of course 'disability' means a lot more than just the physical - there is a
social dimension, a psychological dimension, sexual dimension et al. But it
must refer in a primary sense to an objectively measurable physical reality,
otherwise we're lost. Disability is indeed a complex phenomenon which defies
any simplistic definition but it must be grounded in reality.
My apologies to Larry A. I had the weird idea this list was for
professionals who enjoyed a sharp discussion. None though to Victoria L who
needed someone to puncture her cosy assumptions.
Best wishes,
Michael Morgan
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