There are more than a billion disabled people in the world ~ Why we need to normalise disability | #DisabilityFactFriday
In 2017, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that there were more than a billion disabled people around the world. They also noted that this roughly equates to 15% of the World’s population. This statistic shows the sheer prevalence of disability, but in my opinion, it shouldn’t be staggering.
Such a statistic suggests just how pertinent it is that disability is seen, accepted and normalised by mainstream society. When I suggest that it is not currently “normalised”, I am referring to the ways in which disability is often seen as niche.
Of course, every disabled person has completely different experiences and needs, something I feel contributes to the and specialised nature of disability. Yet, when disability is discussed, it is framed as being uncommon - accommodated for in terms of “special needs” and “adaptations”: things not built in by default.
This is where, for me personally, the social model of disability becomes important. Just as a bit of background, the social model of disability posits that disability arises from social barriers and perceptions of disability. This is frequently seen as opposing the medical paradigm of disability, which suggests that impairment and disability exists within the individual. The normalisation of disability to me, would mean that many adaptations did not have to be made, and if they did, they would be met with understanding, acceptance rather than making the disabled person seem needy or different. Of course, some disabled people prefer to celebrate their differences. If disability were more mainstream this could still be done but perhaps would be received as more commonplace. Another important factor to consider in how disability is perceived is the ways we talk about it. Some prefer to use person-first language, i.e. where they refer to themselves as "a person with disabilities'. I prefer to use the phrase 'disabled person' to emphasise the barriers I feel society places on me through being often inaccessible, and for me this does not compromise my identity. In the phrasing of the picture below for #DisabilityFactFriday I have used the phrase 'people are disabled'. I don't really know why, but perhaps it was to emphasise the statistics and the way we tend to see global populations as the same? So perhaps it is a kind of halfway between person-first language and not. Either way, usually I would use the phrase 'disabled people'.
I should say here that it is important not to see disability in the mainstream as a homogeneous concept (in recent years there has been greater challenging of the wheelchair icon as a universal symbol of disability, pointing out that it may not communicate the array of disabilities or the invisible nature of some disabilities).
My point is in normalising disability we should perhaps see the ways in which society contributes to the marginalisation of disabled people and see the ways in which building an accessible society could help disabled people integrate. There is also a difference between identifying and differentiating needs and accepting them. Disabled people need acceptance with an understanding of their needs, but this acceptance (whatever the needs may be) must become the norm. Whether there was just one disabled person in the world or one billion, no one should be ostracised. The fact that there are so many disabled people in the world shouldn't be surprising, but it should reinforce the importance of acceptance.
Thanks for reading and please remember this blog reflects my personal opinions.
Ellie
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