what qualifies you as being disabled?

Indie_Kid

dcmbarton wrote: »

I'm sure that many people don't want to be labelled as 'disabled' because of the attitudes which go with that - clearly displayed here once again. There seems to be this attitude in society that if you're disabled, you're out for money, benefits and sympathy. That simply isn't true.

I don't want sympathy, I just want people to understand and stop saying things like "you're lying", "well, you did that yesterday; why not today?"

krisskross

I have just this second asked my husband if he considers himself disabled.

Now this is a chap that has severe rheumatoid arthritis which means he sometimes needs to use a wheelchair, cannot do up buttons or cut up his own food. He is also profoundly deaf needing 2 hearing aids. And until Tuesday was effectively blind because of cataracts.

And the answer very loudly was that of course he isn't 'a disabled person'. He honestly never expects anyone to give him special treatment. So I think it must lie with self perception how not quite perfect people see themselves and how they wish others to see them.

Indie_Kid

krisskross wrote: »

As far as some people are concerned anything less than the perfect body in all it's functions and you are 'disabled'. Must be the most abused word in the English language.

I have a painful ingrowing toenail and the pain makes me limp a bit. Does this make me disabled?

We need far more sensible people like yourself around. I have never understood the wish to declare oneself disabled. Think with a lot of people it is £££ signs.

Why do I get the impression you're bitter? (about what, I don't know)

For many people, it's not about the money - there is also the support.

missile

krisskross wrote: »

I have a painful ingrowing toenail and the pain makes me limp a bit. Does this make me disabled?

Your disability has to be permanent.

We need far more sensible people like yourself around. I have never understood the wish to declare oneself disabled. Think with a lot of people it is £££ signs

I find it strange people feel it is acceptable to make such offensive comments about disabled people. If one said something similar about ethnic minorities, you could be prosecuted.

krisskross

missile wrote: »

krisskross wrote: »

/QUOTE]
Your disability has to be permanent.
I find it strange people feel it is acceptable to make such offensive comments about disabled people. If one said something similar about ethnic minorities, you could be prosecuted.

But the question is how severe does a problem have to be to be considered a 'disability'. So if I never got my ingrowing toenail sorted it would be permanent and I would then be disabled?

Prosecuted?? Don't so daft.

Indie_Kid

krisskross wrote: »

But the question is how severe does a problem have to be to be considered a 'disability'. So if I never got my ingrowing toenail sorted it would be permanent and I would then be disabled?

Prosecuted?? Don't so daft.

It has to be severe enough to affect your ability to do day-to-day tasks. You are just being silly, tbh.

[Deleted User]

Sh1305, stop biting back and just give the legal and unarguable definition!http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/RightsAndObligations/DisabilityRights/DG_4001069

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. The definition

For the purposes of the Act:

• substantial means neither minor nor trivial
• long term means that the effect of the impairment has lasted or is likely to last for at least 12 months (there are special rules covering recurring or fluctuating conditions)
• normal day-to-day activities include everyday things like eating, washing, walking and going shopping
• a normal day-to-day activity must affect one of the 'capacities' listed in the Act which include mobility, manual dexterity, speech, hearing, seeing and memory

Some conditions, such as a tendency to set fires and hay fever, are specifically excluded.

TheBottomLine_2

My opinion;

Anything that affects your ability to do everyday things is a disability. If it can be 'corrected' with aids or drugs then I'd say it's not a disability. For example many people wear specs or contacts and without them would not be able to function. My father in law wears two hearing aids and with them he can hear very well. I'd gladly give up my £18.95 per week mobility for a pair of specs that would correct my blindness. Athletes at the paralympics have no legs but can run a marathon, that's not disabled is it? But without extra help and finance they wouldn't have access to prosthetic limbs and the therapy needed to learn how to walk with them. It isn't a case of having some extra cash makes them better.

I'm rambling. I'll go have a lie down before I start ranting! :rotfl:

nannytone_2

i think people that are born disabled don't usually see themselves as disabled, myself included (THOUGH IT HAS TO DEPEND ON THE TYPE OD DISABILITY)
I WAS BORN WITH VERY LIMITED EYESIGHT AND WAS REGISTERED BLIND IN 1996. THIS IS MY 'NORMAL'. I KNOW NO DIFFERENT, SO HOW CAN I FEEL I HAVE 'LESS' THAN 'NORMAL' PEOPLE?
IT MUST BE HARDER IF YOUVE HAD SOMETHING (ABILITY) AND HAD IT TAKEN AWAY.


PS. sorry about the caps, my finger must have slipped lol

nannytone_2

sh1305 wrote: »

I don't want sympathy, I just want people to understand and stop saying things like "you're lying", "well, you did that yesterday; why not today?"

but people dont understand! how can they?
they can sympathise, but they cant understand what having a disability is like.

i can sympathise with a deaf person, but have no way of understanding how it impacts their life. in the same wasy they can sympathise with me!
people dont need to understand my difficulties, just respect the fact that i have them!