Who’s Disabled?

autisticwomen:

disabilitythinking:

People sometimes ask, “Is it okay for me to say I’m disabled?” What do they mean? A variety of things, I think:

• They have some condition that’s in the ballpark of disability, but they have struggled personally over whether they themselves want to identify as disabled.

• They view themselves as disabled in some way, but worry that other disabled people won’t accept that, or that they will be accused of “appropriating” disability identity and culture.

• They think that if they refer to themselves as “disabled”, their friends and families will be sad or disapprove, or worse … believe they are faking in order to gain some kind of advantage or benefit.

• They are focused on one of the more narrow, specific definitions of “disabled,” such as qualifying for Social Security Disability, being entitled to a “handicapped parking” permit, or being covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

• They take the word “disabled” very literally, to mean unable to do anything. From this point of view it can seem both inaccurate, (everybody can do SOMETHING), and discouraging … as if calling yourself disabled is not only descriptive, but predictive.

I’ve thought about it a lot, and here is the definition of disability that makes the most sense to me. It’s a personal definition, not a legal or bureaucratic one:

If you have a physical or mental condition that you have to think about and plan around every day, then you are disabled.

This definition encompasses any physical, mental, cognitive, and sensory impairments. I personally don’t include temporary impairments, impairments that are seamlessly adapted, (like glasses for nearsightedness), or ordinary variations in personality, talent, and physical makeup.

Any thoughts?

What do folks think?