Why do some people think if you are disabled you aren't supposed to know or understand that you are?

Question

Why do people think the disabled are totally unaware of their problems or the extent of them?

I'm not talking about how people treat the disabled, but more like from the disabled person's point of view. Do you think all, most, or some disabled people know they have problems according to what professionals and society says or do you think they are unaware?

I guess there's some disabilities that aren't supposed to let the person be totally aware of their situation but I guess that's there nature. Sure most people with a physical disability understand they are disabled but what about the thousands or millions of mentally disabled people?

Answer 1

Certainly, many of those with intellectual disabilities (the severe cases, anyway) aren't going to be fully aware.

And--that's a hard pill for a lot of people to accept. Because what it boils down to is that for the majority of people with disabilities, the biggest problem we have isn't the impairment--its the people around us.

But otherwise--yes, believe me, we are very aware. But--and this is central to the "disability rights" movement--we are a lot more concerned with the fact that society--and professionals--assume we are far less capable than we are--and often categorize us in ways that are far more disabling than the impairments themselves. Its assumed, for example, that "deaf children are poor readers" and "blind children don't do welin math"--and if you look at the statistics that's the case. Until you lookat the minority of these children who are fortunate enough to be taught these skills properly--using known, well established, but badly underutilized methods. And lo and behold--they do just as well as their non-disabled peers!.

Most people aren't bearers of ill-will toward people with disabilities. But they do treat us on the basis of stereotyped ideas--and astereotype is just as damaging whether it comes from outright bigotry or unrecognized ignorance.

Answer 2

Spreaking as a person with disability issues, people don't ask me about them unless I bring up the subject. For example, I'm dealing with Asperger Syndrome, Clinical Depression, and Hydrocephalus. A lot on my plate, I know. People I've talked to seem to think I'm OK, and I do what I can to adapt and live with my issues. Of course, my plan is to live with the disability issues without having to live on disability itself, but all in all, right now that seems easier said than done.

Answer 3

If you're talking about an developmental disablity it's becasue most people don't know how disabled you are. My sister was on the high side of developmentally disabled with some psychatriatic issues. If Barb hadn't had the psychatrictic disabllities she would have been able to llive on her own and to hold a job that allowed her some mesure of independence. People could tell by interacting with Barbara that she was delayed but They weren't sure how to treat her becasuse they weren't sure until they got to know her what her capabililtes were. When most people think of developmentally delayed they think of people with Downs's syndrome and most of them don't' understand that even those with DS have a specturm. They can be profoundly delayed or the can be close to normal. You have people who are don't understand that there are level's of developmental delays just as there are levels of psychical disablities. There are people who understand that they are different, Barb knew that she had developmental delays and that she had mental illnesses. She'd spent two years in a psychatatric hospital so she knew she was sick, She knew that she was better off than some of her freinds and classmates. She knew that she was able to take care of herself while some of them them would never be able to. Barbara could travel by herself in fact if you took her some where once she could get back there by herself. She had one of the best sense of directions of anyone I knew. The people who don't understand the process of developmental delays and mental illnesses. They are the ones who have trouble understand the capacity of people to understand themselves.

Answer 4

I think that some people just feel awkward around someone with a disability and tend to act strangely towards them. It's more a case of being overly concerned to a point that it's disrespectful. People don't know how to handle themselves.

Answer 5

I don't know anyone who thinks that. Maybe we didn't take a class on "how to talk to a wheelchair lady without making her mad at you"

Come on, what do you want? If your disability makes people uncomfortable and they're trying their best to socialize with you anyway instead of just avoiding you then you should be understanding of the fact that they haven't adjusted to you yet.

Quit bitching. I know I just avoid handicapped people because the handful of handicapped people I have known are very annoying with the "handi-capable" stuff. If you treat them special they get offended, if you pretend they're normal then they get pissed. Make up your mind, lady

Answer 6

because they are immature and need to really think about those sort of things. i had a friend who's sister was disabled and the sister knew she was. i didn't treat her like she didn't know what was wrong with her. people are so rude.

Answer 7

i dont know i guess not to hurt peoples feelings. i just look at disabled people as normal people just with a little problem its not like their not human :\

Answer 8

Speaking for myself and having had a serious hearing loss all my life what pi**es me off is people with the attitude that deafness eaquals inability to learn or outright stupidity and then they are openly critical of your condition!!!

Answer 9

i think it's political correctness gone overboard...sure, if you're in a wheelchair, you KNOW you're in a wheelchair (or whatever disability you may have)...it's not like not mentioning it is gonna make someone FORGET they have a disability!

Answer 10

Irrepressible ignorance?!