Phrases and words such as “YOU INSPIRE” , “You are inspirational” are such positive, and complimentary words, which makes a person feel good about what they have achieved or what they have done. People use the words Inspire/ Inspiration when they get the motivation to do something or to do better.
But, is the word “inspire / inspirational” used right in the disabled community?
Pictures on the internet such as people sprinting with false limbs, painting without arms are considered to be inspiring, whereas they are just using their body to their best capacities just like how a non disabled person does.Overcoming the barriers and making the fullest use of their potential is inspirational/ motivational, but sometimes pictures like this might lead to objectification of people with disabilities for the benefits of non disabled people.
Such pictures on the internet where a person using the maximum of their body’s potential is considered motivating/ inspiring , or even to make a non-disabled person feel grateful and thankful for their lives as it could have been worse, but disability is not a bad thing.
Disability being regarded as “bad” or “exception” :
A famous quote on the internet “ the only disability in life is bad attitude”,
is one of the major examples where disability is considered as ”bad”, a
stigmatised quote which does not acknowledge that disability exists among
common people.
Disabled people considered as “inspirational”
“In today’s society, disability is treated as an exception. People with
disabilities are disabled more by society than their bodies. Disabled people
are being congratulated or called “inspirational” for doing the daily chores.
It is not the disability, but the society that makes people with disabilities feel
vulnerable.
People with disabilities are able differently with the potential to do the best,
and to live their lives in terms they agree with.
Quotes by TED talks- being called as “inspirational”:
“I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much.”
“Disability makes you exceptional is a lie.”
– Stella Young, disabled Australian disability activist.
“I’m not inspirational”
“I got 99 problems and palsy is just one”
– Maysoon Zaid, an American actress and comedian.
Disabled people are not exceptional, they deserve to be treated equally as all
of us use our bodies with our best potential. When people with disabilities
are often referred to as Inspirational, it shows how they are being perceived
by the society, in spite of the fact that it is a positive adjective. Treating each
and every person equally and looking at each other as a collective mass with
equal opportunities .
Click on below link to reach us for conducting a Disability Awareness Program for your employees
Let’s all join the fight of a world where no one is left behind and start building Equity which is the concept of fairness.
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