Common Stereotypes Surrounding Disability

Hello again,

In this post I thought I'd address the topic of common stereotypes that people with disabilities face. The reason I have decided to write about this topic is because many of the stereotypes surrounding disabilities are pure myths and have no truth to them at all therefore I would like help people understand what is it really like being a disabled person, instead of you just going on our stereotypes which are mainly very untruthful and old-fashioned.

A stereotype by definition is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. For example, a stereotypical girl would like pink, have long hair and play with dolls and fairies. Common stereotypes surrounding disability include the inability to have a good quality of life, incapability and being introverted.

Many people who happen to have a disability live a very full and independent life. Yes, we may face struggles when trying to use public transport or getting into non-accessible buildings but those struggles, although sometimes extremely irritating, will make us stronger as a person. And yes, many people with additional needs will need support and specialised equipment to enable them to have a good quality of life but we do enjoy our lives, whether we manage to travel the world or just go out regularly into our local town, the majority of us will be able to live a happy and fulfilling life.

Because there are so many different types of disability, it is a difficult to tell how capable people with disabilities really are because it varies so much depending on the type of disability and the severity of the disability. For example, people with Cerebral Palsy, like myself, have different capabilities depending on the type of CP and how it affects you in your everyday life. For me, as I have a relatively mild form of CP, I see myself nearly as capable as an able bodied person however there is still a high risk of falling and with my new Epilepsy diagnosis, at the moment it is hard to go anywhere independently or with friends. If you have a severer form of CP then you may need the help of a carer or similar when performing tasks and going out and about. So you get the idea, everyone with a disability is unique, no two cases are the same therefore everyone has different capabilities, but please DO NOT assume that everyone with a disability is incapable because we just aren't, we have different capabilities but that does not mean in anyway that we are incapable.

The last common stereotype that I am going to address in this post is that all people with disabilities are introverted and reserved. I believe that this is one of the most important stereotypes that needs to be addressed and understood correctly. Yes, it is true that I am shy around new people and don't always immediately start up a conversation. Yet, I am a very loud and bubbly person once you get to know me. Therefore, yes I am probably more shy when I first meet people than I would be if I didn't have a disability but I am definitely not introverted. I really love going out and meeting friends but unfortunately, because of my disability, even if I ask twenty people to meet up nearly all of them will say they can't and I believe the majority of them don't want to spend time with me because of my disability. Whether it is because they feel nervous in case I fall or have a seizure, which I completely understand, or maybe it's because they don't want to be seen around a 'disabled' person. The fact is that many disabled people want to go out but because many able-bodied people are inconsiderate and don't realise that we are just the same as everyone else, yes we may face different struggles but at the end of the day, WE ARE THE SAME AND WANT TO JUST BE ACCEPTED INTO SOCIETY. Another reason it is hard for people with a disability to access opportunities that are open to able bodied people is accessibility to buildings, theme parks, hotels etc. I believe that everywhere should be made accessible to EVERYONE. Many places are just not accessible whether it is because they don't have accessible toilets or because they have stairs but no lift. This is just unfair and means that simply we can't go to as many places as we want and should be allowed to go.

Thank you for reading and I hope I have changed some views about disability.

Evie :) x