Comments on: What is Disability really? http://transabled.org/thoughts/other-thoughts/sophie-thoughts/what-is-disability-really.htm Talking about Body Integrity Identity Disorder - Just another disability! Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:48:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7-beta2 hourly 1 By: Brice http://transabled.org/thoughts/other-thoughts/sophie-thoughts/what-is-disability-really.htm/comment-page-1#comment-15525 Brice Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:11:25 +0000 http://transabled.org/?p=814#comment-15525 Good on you, Gordo!!! Do your thing while you´re young enough to make it work!! Good on you, Gordo!!! Do your thing while you´re young enough to make it work!!

]]> By: Sean http://transabled.org/thoughts/other-thoughts/sophie-thoughts/what-is-disability-really.htm/comment-page-1#comment-15440 Sean Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:34:58 +0000 http://transabled.org/?p=814#comment-15440 Well, "technically" (in most countries), a disability is "a condition that significantly impacts one or more activity of daily living". These include (but are not limited to) walking, hearing, talking, seeing, eating, thinking, etc. In the US, they even state that anyone who 1) has a condition, 2) has a history of having a condition, or 3) is perceived as having a condition. This means that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Gordo (who I know lives in Canada) would be protected from disability based discrimination if he were discriminated against because of using a wheelchair! But that's rather technical ;) I think your most excellent post alludes a bit to the difference between "disability" and "impairment" as well. We have BIID, it's our "natural" state of being, but it is an impairment. It does become disabling when we have to function in the world, and we're not able to. In the end, "normal is a cycle on the washing machine" ;) BTW Sophie, nice to see you post again :) Well, “technically” (in most countries), a disability is “a condition that significantly impacts one or more activity of daily living”. These include (but are not limited to) walking, hearing, talking, seeing, eating, thinking, etc. In the US, they even state that anyone who 1) has a condition, 2) has a history of having a condition, or 3) is perceived as having a condition.

This means that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Gordo (who I know lives in Canada) would be protected from disability based discrimination if he were discriminated against because of using a wheelchair!

But that’s rather technical ;)

I think your most excellent post alludes a bit to the difference between “disability” and “impairment” as well. We have BIID, it’s our “natural” state of being, but it is an impairment. It does become disabling when we have to function in the world, and we’re not able to.

In the end, “normal is a cycle on the washing machine” ;)

BTW Sophie, nice to see you post again :)

]]> By: Gordo http://transabled.org/thoughts/other-thoughts/sophie-thoughts/what-is-disability-really.htm/comment-page-1#comment-15439 Gordo Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:56:59 +0000 http://transabled.org/?p=814#comment-15439 I had an interesting internal battle about that lately. Even though I haven't told many friends or my family about my BIID, I crossed a line the other week -- the line that divides wheeling as something "weird" I do do cope with BIID and as something that feels "normal" and natural. After crossing that line, using a wheelchair became as natural a mode of mobility as any other mode. I finally felt "normal" enough to use a wheelchair in broad daylight in red zones (which is what I call areas where I have a high chance of bumping into someone I know). I've already bumped into some people I know while using my wheelchair, and they seem to be taken aback that I'm no longer "normal"... It's interesting to me because some of those people have friends with various disabilities too. So how come I'm suddenly "abnormal" in their eyes? (Not that I wasn't weird in my own way before.) I had an interesting internal battle about that lately. Even though I haven’t told many friends or my family about my BIID, I crossed a line the other week — the line that divides wheeling as something “weird” I do do cope with BIID and as something that feels “normal” and natural.

After crossing that line, using a wheelchair became as natural a mode of mobility as any other mode. I finally felt “normal” enough to use a wheelchair in broad daylight in red zones (which is what I call areas where I have a high chance of bumping into someone I know).

I’ve already bumped into some people I know while using my wheelchair, and they seem to be taken aback that I’m no longer “normal”… It’s interesting to me because some of those people have friends with various disabilities too. So how come I’m suddenly “abnormal” in their eyes? (Not that I wasn’t weird in my own way before.)

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