Reflection Paper On Disability

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I read Choudouri et al. 2012 ‘s chapter on Disability and it has truly made me aware of the challenges individuals with disabilities may face that I was ignorant of. First and foremost, being unaware of my abilities is a privilege in and of itself so it was truly eye opening to begin to view the different side of the picture. I am now able to recognize different instances of my own privilege. The text mentioned mobility disabilities and picturing even my own personal dorm room, it may be too small and difficult to navigate for one in a wheelchair. Not only this, but I tend to take for granted the privilege I do have in life occurrence such as going to the movie theatre thus reminding me that discrimination towards those with disabilities still …show more content…

Shifting from viewing disability in binaries like good v. bad or helpful v. hindering, aids people to empathize with one’s disability experience. Disability should be viewed as just another aspect of difference or diversity and not just an aspect of deficiency. The individuals with disabilities live complex lives and have many layers to them just as any other person, thus, it is extremely ignorant to only define an individual by their disability. Yet, it was intriguing for me to read in the text that this action of labeling people by their disabilities is being taken back by that very same community but as a empowerment movement. It is essential to understand where the power goes and when the power is back in the hands of a marginalized group, they have more control over their own lives. Because people with disabilities have been defined by others, it is invigorating for them to have the opportunity to discover language they personally self-identify with. The disability experience is more intricate that many may think because it can be impacted by a multiple of outlooks including the disability itself, the person who it is affecting, socio cultural factors and the immediate