Dear Maria, Glen, Jimmy & All,
Maria's passage which I will quote next had much
meaning for me:
"If in effect violence is about power then what are
these individuals
really doing to those of us who do not have the
privilege of hiding what
society devalues and considers unwanted?"
First I would say that we exist as we have been made.
Next, I would point out that we are exercising choice
(the little that we have) as an adaptive tool. There
is little "power" here and we are doing the rest of
the disabled community no violence. We are eyed
suspiciously by both the disabled and non disabled
communities and welcomed by neither.
I am epileptic. I have been this way since three years
of age. I am 52 now.
Unlike other disabilities, epilepsy remains highly
stigmatized. People with it often find they cannot
discuss their condition with family members. Doctors
frequently are poorly educated about this condition
and society at large fears it and the people with it.
Superstitions abound and individuals often act from
this base of understanding rather than from a factual
one. Needless to say, epileptics are often deeply
isolated individuals and this adds to the damage they
endure.
Laws preventing epileptics from marriage remain on the
books in certain states, it is still a separately
articulated reason for divorce, radical "preventative"
techniques like forced sterilization still occur, and
misdiagnosis and institutionalizations wreck the lives
of persons
as much as false imprisonment would. Many families
with newly diagnosed members seek out religious
"cures": the Epilepsy Foundation receives calls asking
for information on exorcisms every week in the US
alone.
We are often denied housing, our right to drive is
continually in question, employment is difficult to
achieve and then to sustain, and on and on.
Society does not want to engage any of us with
disabilities, certainly. But it is far more willing to
engage what it can readily identify and comprehend.
Cordially,
Paula Ogburn-Apodaca
On 12/28/04 10:59 AM, "Smith, Glenn"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> From a feminist stand point, and Independent Living
point we claim
> that we support choice for all, and from the
feminist stand point I
> learned that power is the roots of violence against
women. Violence
> against women begins in a very slow way with conceal
messages from the
> abusers. As a survivor of institutional violence I
accepted that as
> confirming my experience
>
>
>
> If in effect violence is about power then what are
these individuals
> really doing to those of us who do not have the
privilege of hiding what
> society devalues and considers unwanted?
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On 12/29/05 4:52 AM, "David Quarter" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Priority: normal
> Date sent: Tue, 28 Dec 2004 21:20:09 +0000
> Send reply to: Mitzi Waltz <[log in to unmask]>
> From: Mitzi Waltz <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Invisible disabilities and the disability card
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
>> Maria said:
>>> In the last few years I have been confronted with a few women who have
>> confided they have hidden disabilities and that they use the identity of
>> disability to obtain privileges and hide it when among non-disabled
>> community. This for some reason seemed wrong and patronizing to me. I
>> could be wrong or jealous as one of them accused me of being.
>>>
>> I don't think I understand what "privileges" one could obtain by using a
>> "disabled" identity. Having food to eat and a
>> place to live are not privileges, they are human rights. All of us wheel &
>> deal for these things, by claiming one
>> identity or another,or by performing labour, usually with far more profit
>> accrusing to someone other than
>> ourselves.
>> The few actual "privileges" I can think of are quite minor things--getting a
>> pass to avoid lines at Disneyland, for
>> example, or having a parking pass. These kinds of privileges are often given
>> to celebrities and the rich as well, and
>> similar items can be blagged on grounds other than disability. I'd say, don't
>> feel jealous--be in solidarity, and work
>> towards others (yourself, also!) being accomodated, treated nicely, etc. They
>> are hiding their disability whilst in
>> non-disabled society because of prejudice, most likely. I see this all the
>> time with students, past experience has
>> taught them that if they can keep things quiet, that is the wisest course of
>> action. It's like staying in the closet
>> when you're gay--not ideal, not great, but for some people in some situations
>> and places, sadly the only workable
>> option. Definitely a sitution to worrk against, but I wouldn't put down
>> anyone for making a personal decision about
>> being "out" about, for example, mental illness in some situations but not
>> others.
>>
>
> I can think a few stereotypical examples of a 'mental illness'
> being used as 'crutch' to ' get ahead' (although I don't know if "
> privilege " is the right word to describe this).
>
> 1) You're taking a difficult class in university and are unable to
> finish an assignment. You ask the instructor for an extension,
> citing your disability as the consideration -- ie., high anxiety, OCD,
> depression.
>
> 2) You're applying to a competive LAW school -- haven't got high
> enough LSAT scores to get in through the regular stream, so you
> claim a mental disability has prevented you from performing to your
> ability on the LSAT and apply in an alternative stream (with a less
> competitive pool of students to compete against)
>
> 3) You have the usual deadlines to meet at work. To avoid the
> heavy load, you claim that your "mental illness" (disability)
> prevents you from taking on too many tasks at one time. You cite
> the "fact" that stress often precipates mental disorders).
>
> 4) You mention that you have a disability in your application for a
> government job. There is quota set for the number of disabled
> people to be hired and as a result you are selected for the position.
>
>
>
> DOQ
>
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