When we speak of people with disabilities, we (present company included) often speak as though they are a single monolith. We do this because it more easily allows us to speak in broad strokes about issues that are commonly faced by a group of people who, in all other ways, are unique individuals.
But let’s remember that about 20% of the American population has a disability, and we come to disability in a multitude of different ways. Some of us are born with disabilities, others acquire a disability through accident or illness. Some of us become disabled simply from spending too long on this planet (you might call it aging).
With the vast number of people with disabilities and the numerous ways disabilities can manifest, it shouldn’t be surprising that different cultures emerge in within the disability community. These can even result in discrimination between groups of disabled people.
For example, one of the critiques of the disability rights movement is that it has historically been led by and focused on the needs of people with physical disabilities, particularly those in wheelchairs. Many people with cognitive disabilities have felt ignored and even scorned by the leaders of the movement. Both fans and critics of the award-winning documentary “Crip Camp” have pointed out that the documentary appears to exclude people of color and LGBTQIA people to make the movement more palatable to a general audience.
These tensions within the disability movement lead to the development of subcultures. And disability subcultures can vastly differ in their opinion of what it even means to be disabled.
For example, most Autistics have eschewed person-first language for language that recognizes disability as an essential component of a person’s identity. They prefer “autistic woman” or “disabled person” to the more widely encouraged “woman with autism” or “person with a disability.” This simple change in wording reflects an understanding of disability that disability is natural, good and integral to a person’s personality and talents.
On the other hand, advocates and people with Down syndrome generally still prefer person-first language. They see the disability as inconsequential and far less important than other aspects of a person’s makeup.
For some, disability is something to endure or accommodate. For others, disability should be celebrated as a natural way of being. For still others, reality is somewhere in between. In the deaf community, deafness is not even seen as a disability but rather as a cultural phenomenon.
Of course, even within each of these groups and communities, there is dissension of thought. Every disabled person is an individual. We may seek out others who share our opinion and understanding about disability, but that doesn’t mean that all disabled people or even groups of people with disabilities think alike.
It’s important for all of us to educate ourselves about disability issues. It’s also important to honor each disabled person’s unique preferences and view of their disability. No one is the expert in all disability matters. Not even me.
Tara Kiene is president/CEO of Community Connections Inc.
