Disability Pride Month: Part 1
Kat discusses disrupting the stereotypes, assumptions and exclusion of disabled people.
Often, people tend to have quite a specific and stereotypical idea of what disability looks like and what it means. For example, your mind may jump straight to a wheelchair user or people using a mobility aid. But assumptions can be even more socially complicated than this.
Stereotypes and assumptions
Laurie Block from the Disability History Museum describes 6 common pictures or beliefs that society holds about disability:
- Disabled people are different, restricted or lesser and are identified as ‘others’ that are alienated.
- Being a success as a disabled person suggests you are in some way ‘superhuman’.
- Disabled people are an unending burden, their company is depressing and families, partners, friends etc are making a sacrifice.
- Disability is a sickness that should be cured or fixed.
- Disabled people, especially those experiencing mental health problems, are engulfed by rage and feel anger towards those who are not disabled.
- Disabled people, particularly individuals who are cognitively impaired, experience compensation for abilities they lack with other abilities that are often considered outside what is ordinary*.
This is just a snapshot of social judgements, there are many more, and they feel particularly rife in the current climate of welfare reform and the context of the public and media’s discussions around financial costs of disabled people. A recent study conducted in the UK discusses that many disabled people are feeling frustrated by negative perceptions and misconceptions in society and the tendency to focus on inability as opposed to talents and capabilities. It also suggests that these unhelpful images are being propagated by the UK media and social media through derogatory language or misleading and dismissive information**.
This month is Disability Pride Month and is the perfect time to discuss how we can challenge and disrupt these negative stereotypes, misconceptions and social exclusions.
A good starting point is discussing that disability takes many forms, it is a wide umbrella term and covers many conditions and impairments.
The 2010 Equality Act*** considers a person disabled if they have a “physical or mental impairment” that has a “substantial” and “long-term” negative impact on their ability to engage in normal daily activities.
When you take time to consider this, you realise how varied the experience of disability is and that many people can’t fit in one box. Many disabilities are invisible, many disabled people’s conditions are complex and compounded, and many conditions you might not expect may be covered by disability legislations.
A great illustration of the range of disabilities and experiences navigated by disabled people is the colours of the Disability Pride flag and what each one represents.
Disability pride flag colour meanings
Scope has compiled a handy list explaining each colour:
Red: Physical impairments and conditions
Gold: Neurodiversity
White: Non-visible and undiagnosed impairments and conditions
Blue: Emotional and psychiatric conditions, including mental health, anxiety and depression
Green: Hearing impaired, vision impaired, audio processing and all other sensory impairments and conditions
Charcoal: The charcoal background is to represent people in the community who have experienced ableism, and to protest against this****
Another important consideration is the idea that disability can be acquired by anyone at any time. Disability is one of the only ‘protected characteristics’ from the 2010 Equality Act ***** that can be acquired without warning, choice or consent. Holding negative views and discriminatory beliefs about disabled people contributes to a problem that impacts so many people and could suddenly affect any one of us. It shouldn’t be that you or a loved one must have direct experience of disability to change attitudes, but considering the unpredictability of health for everyone may help give a new perspective on stereotypes and preconceptions. It’s also worth discussing that some disabled people hold negative and sometimes painful beliefs about themselves and their identities, often because of social rhetoric. This may be even more relevant for people that acquire health conditions or impairment later in life and have to adapt their view of what being a disabled person means.
Want to know some ways you could support positive social change for disabled people? Read Part Two now!
Sources;
* https://www.disabilitymuseum.org/dhm/edu/essay.html?id=24
***https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/6
****https://www.scope.org.uk/disability-pride-month#What-does-the-Disability-Pride-flag-represent-click
***** https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/equality/equality-act-2010/protected-characteristics