| I found a remark on a blog recently and the remark | | | | disabilities are not apparent to the untrained eye, |
| basically said this (I'm paraphrasing): "I'm tired of people | | | | making them effectively invisible. |
| who aren't disabled but try to get benefits from the | | | | To use a personal example, I have an in-law with |
| government". | | | | bipolar disorder. My brother-in-law has had |
| I guess it goes without saying that, today, we live in a | | | | electroconvulsive therapy on an outpatient basis for |
| fairly judgmental climate. And regarding individuals with | | | | nearly two years, which is fairly significant as far as |
| disabilities, perhaps it has always been that way. | | | | treatment goes (this was enough to qualify him for |
| However, for those who think like the person who | | | | social security disability benefits). By any thoughtful |
| made the statement above, consider the fact that | | | | consideration of his impairment he is certainly disabled. |
| many individuals with disabilities have conditions that | | | | But you can't "see" his various deficits when you see |
| allow them to work, but only on a limited basis, or for | | | | him putting gas in his car, or when he is picking up milk |
| short durations. In other words, just because you see | | | | at the grocery store. In the same manner, you can't |
| someone at the grocery store pushing a cart, don't | | | | "see" the disability of a person who has depression, |
| assume that they're not being truthful about being | | | | anxiety, fibromyalgia, or migraines. |
| disabled. For all you really know, after making a short | | | | The mere concept that a person with disabilities should |
| trip to the store, they may be flat on their back when | | | | have to pass a visibility test belies a depressing degree |
| they get home, and in a considerable amount of | | | | of ignorance on the part of those who are not |
| discomfort. | | | | disabled. That a person with a physical disability should |
| This example, of course, raises the question: Can you | | | | have to possess a limp, or a person with a mental |
| necessarily "see" a disability? And the answer is no, of | | | | disability should have to carry on a conversation with |
| course not. And, in fact, when it comes to most mental | | | | himself in public before a non-disabled person can |
| and physical impairments, even when the condition is | | | | accept that a disability, in fact, exists shows just how |
| truly disabling, the average watcher won't be able to | | | | far the disability rights movement still needs to go. |
| determine that's the case. Contrary to myth, most | | | | |