Month: November 2023

Who?

Disability is a broad and diverse concept that encompasses:

• Impairments
• Activity limitations
• Participation restrictions

Impairment:
An impairment refers to a loss, limitation, or abnormality in body structure or function. This can include conditions affecting the skeletal, sensory, neurological, or other systems of the body.

Activity Limitation:
Activity limitation refers to difficulties an individual may experience in performing tasks or actions. It results from the interaction between an individual’s impairment and the demands of a specific activity.

Participation Restriction:
Participation restriction involves limitations or barriers that prevent individuals from fully engaging in societal roles and activities. This aspect of disability acknowledges the impact of environmental and social factors on an individual’s ability to engage in various aspects of life.

Where?

Considering the above,

Where can disabled people go?
Accessibility factors such as ‘noise’ in the environment can limit social participation and visibility. ‘Noise’ can elicit overwhelming reactions to crowds, sounds, and lights, creating unintentional isolation. In addition to physical barriers, these factors may contribute to a decline in wellbeing.

Where are disabled people in society?
Disabled individuals may be found in care homes, day centres, family homes, or special institutions. Social networks and activities may not always be accessible to them, leading to social exclusion and limited visibility in community life.

Why?

Disabled people collectively form the world’s largest minority group, yet they remain almost invisible to the general public. Why is this?

Physical Barriers
Physical barriers in the environment, such as a lack of ramps, elevators, or accessible transport, can limit the mobility and visibility of disabled individuals.

Economic Disparity
Access to some activities may be further restricted due to cost. Disabled individuals often face economic challenges, including higher rates of unemployment and underemployment. Economic disparities can contribute to reduced visibility in public life. Insufficient policies and practices to ensure inclusivity in various sectors, including education, employment, and public spaces, can perpetuate exclusion.

Predetermined Beliefs, Prejudice, or Discrimination
Often stemming from limited awareness and understanding, misconceptions about the experiences and capabilities of disabled people contribute to their invisibility in various social spheres.

What?

What can be done?
Historically, disabled individuals and their advocates have worked to bring attention to the needs and rights of the disabled community. However, advocacy efforts may not always receive widespread attention.

What do we know now?
We can increase awareness through storytelling. Contribute to the neurodiversity movement by boosting media representation and multi-group/community exposure. Media and advertising often lack diverse and accurate representations of disabled individuals. It is vital to highlight this in efforts to tackle visibility in public perception.

How?

How can we effect a positive change to public perception to promote inclusion?

• Increase neurodiversity awareness.
• Advocate for a positive identity, greater acceptance, and support for sharing diverse experiences.
• Share research that has made a significant impact on the lives of disabled individuals worldwide.

Help empower and show how systemic barriers can affect teaching and understanding self-advocacy among disabled individuals.
These barriers constrain their ability to actively participate and be visible in societal discourse.

Do

• Read the World Health Organization Global Disability Report.
• Learn core communication words and signs for universal understanding. (link)
• Create accessible visuals of core vocabulary in public spaces.