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What is Disability…?

April 3rd, 2008

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Today in class we will…

What do I say? Language/Labels/Stereotypes Terminology

Etiquette Basic concepts related to disability and disability

studies Definitions

Impairment Handicap Disability

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Imagine an action movie that has a clear and stereotypical “good” guy and “bad” guy…

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More Stereotypes & Labels

How do these images, along with other images of persons with disabilities affect stereotypes of persons w/ disabilities?

Myths

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What are some slang words associated w/ disabilities or disability related?

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Problematic Words

Retard / RetardedStupidLame / CrippleInsaneCrazy

Psycho Maniac Nut Case

MidgetSpazzHandicap

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Problematic Euphemisms Used for Persons with Disabilities

Physically Challenged Differently Able(d) / handicapable “Special” “Brave” (Inspirational, Courageous) Wheelchair Bound / Confined to a Wheelchair Victim / “suffers from” / “afflicted with” (Stroke, Heart

Attack, etc.) In contrast

TAB (Temporary Able Bodied)

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So…What Do I Say?

Remember… Words have power Stereotyping and language interconnect

What do we do and say in a society that might be experiencing PC-fatigue

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“Disability”

Linton: “We have decided to reassign meaning rather than chose a new name.”*

Your reaction to the term disability?

Will reassigning meaning be successful?

*Claiming Disability, page 31

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Acceptable Use of Language

"People First Language” Person With a Disability (PWD)

Pride First Language Deaf (Person) Disabled Person (DP)

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People First language

"People First Language” Person Who is deaf / Hard of Hearing Person with ____ (MS, Cancer, etc.) Person with a Disability (PWD)

(Including: Non- Apparent or Hidden Disability)

“Person with a…” (Physical or Mental Difference)

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Pride First Language

Disabled Person (Claiming Disability)

Nondisabled

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Etiquette

How do you “treat” a Person With a Disability?

Reading

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Other Concepts…

Ableism Overcoming Pity Super Crip

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What does it mean to be able-bodied?

What are able-bodied people “able” to do?

What do able-bodied people look like?

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Ableism

"discrimination in favor of the able-bodied." Reader’s Digest Oxford Wordfinder

Linton: Person is determined by their disability Disabled People are inferior to nondisabled

people

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Overcoming (a common theme)

Overcoming a disability

"I never think of you as disabled."

"He/she is a credit to his/her race."

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Pity

To feel compassionate, commiserate, be sorry for.

Sometimes implying slight contempt for a person on account of some intellectual or moral inferiority attributed to him. (Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. 1989)

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“Super-Crip” (When Stereotypes Tell the Story (National Center

on Disability and Journalism -NCDJ) Disability as Tragedy

Inspiration / Overcoming Courageous

Christopher Reeve: Triumph over Tragedy (Alter). The latest item on the TV news, eg a blind man

climbing a mountain.  

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Definitions

Impairment

Handicap

Disability

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Impairment:

Refers to physical or mental limitations such as difficulty walking

Represents a deviation from the person's usual biomedical state.

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Impairment:

When does physical / mental variation become an impairment?

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What is the difference between:

Impairment

Illness / “being sick”

Chronic Health Conditions?

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Minimal Expected Variation State

Minor Variation

Minor Variation

Unexpected Variation(DISABILITY)

Unexpected Variation(DISABILITY)

MIND / BODY STATE (Condition)

Impairment (aches/pains, illness/sick/injury, chronic illness/disease, short/tall, manic/depressed…. ) =Variation

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Handicap

Different meanings throughout time and situation…

The disadvantage experienced by a person as a result of impairments

(Now considered offensive)

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Disability

Oh so many definitions… Let’s start with the legal (US) definition:

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): (1) has a physical or mental impairment that

substantially limits a major life activity, (2) has a record of such an impairment, or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.

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World Health Org. (WHO) 1980

Disability Restriction or lack (from an impairment) of ability

considered normal for a human being

Handicap The disadvantage experienced by a person as a result of

impairments

*ICIDH-1 (1980)

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Sequence of ConceptsWHO 1980

Impairment

Disease ordisorder

Disability Handicap

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impairment at the organ level

disability at the person level

handicap at the societal level

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WHO 2001

Disability : outcome or result of a complex relationship

between an individual’s: health condition personal factors external factors

Health Condition Health Condition ((disorder/diseasedisorder/disease))

Interaction of ConceptsWHO 2001

Environmental Environmental FactorsFactors

Personal Personal FactorsFactors

Body Body function&structure function&structure

(Impairment(Impairment))

ActivitiesActivities(Limitation)(Limitation)

ParticipationParticipation(Restriction)(Restriction)

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Classifying

classification b11420 Hierarchy:

b Bodily structures

b1 Mental functions

b11 Global mental functions

b114 Orientation functions

b1142 Orientation towards others

b11420 Orientation towards one-self.

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Quantifying

Quantifying functionality:0-4% 0 No impairment5-24% 1 Light impairment25-49% 2 Moderate impairment50-95% 3 Serious impairment96-100% 4 Total impairment 8 Non specified

9 Non applicable

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Where is the subjective (QOL)?

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Other classification systems

DSM IV ICD

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Review of some of the definitions: ADA

An individual with a disability is defined as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

a person who has a history or record of such impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such

impairment.

ICF Disability is an umbrella term for impairments, activity

limitations or participation restrictions. Environmental and personal factors influence all aspects of

health, functioning and disability.

Surgeon General July 26, 2005 “… disabilities are characteristics of the body, mind, or senses

that, to a greater or lesser extent, affect a person’s ability to engage independently in some or all aspects of day-to-day life.”

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67 US acts / programs that define disability 35 have self-contained definitions (although

some contain more than one definition)

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Which definition do you choose? Obviously no one has this figured out…

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Disability Activists (UK)1976 (UPIAS - Union of Physically Impaired Against Segregation)

Disability

“the disadvantage or restriction of activity caused by a contemporary social organization which takes no or little account of people who have physical impairments and thus excludes them from the mainstream of social activities”

Changes the focus of disability away from the individual to Society. (1st articulation of the “Social Model of Disability”)

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Social Model

States that inappropriate and discriminatory: Social Attitudes (Ableism), Sociopolitical Structures, Cultural Phenomena are the central problem for disabled people

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Who is Disabled?

Everybody?

What did Linton have to say about “everybody”?

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NEXT SESSION

Models of Disability