Differently-Abled: Taking Back The Right To Self-identify

If you think this is because I’m scared to say the word “disabled,” you don’t know what you’re in for. This is purely because of the way society chooses to see me. To them, it’s obvious I must be disabled; I’m in a power chair, my speech is impaired, and I move a lot. Therefore, people assume that I must identify as “disabled”.

Here’s the thing: I have never felt “disabled” in my life. Society has tried to make me feel that way due to stereotypes and the way others who have a “disability” think of themselves. We’re all individuals with our personalities and lives, just because society labels us as “disabled“ doesn’t mean we have to identify ourselves as such.

Heck, even people with disabilities try to force others to identify as their “disability,” and for what? So, we all feel the same and can relate to one another? Sorry, but how does that help when we’re all different?

I’m not saying it’s not okay for someone to identify as disabled because it’s valid. I’m trying to say that we should have a choice in how we identify without constantly being shoved inside a box.

It can be hard to identify with something that doesn’t reflect a person’s feelings. This is true and should be the universal thought process for all identities. If a person needs to identify a particular way, they should have the right to live their truth.

The “disabled” identity seems to say that people can’t do anything and they’re helpless because of a diagnosis. Instead of looking at the person for who they truly are,
people tend to look at others as their disability and nothing more.

There are preconceived assumptions and multiple stereotypes that come with seeing a disability, not the person, which can lead to learned helplessness and other self-esteem issues that can result in more harm than good.

So, how can we respect people who don’t choose to identify as “disabled”?

Allowing people to be who they are is the most empowering thing to do for them. Being allowed to identify as differently-abled is a huge deal because it validates the feelings one has about themselves. This also allows them to show society what they're truly capable of.

I don’t particularly appreciate being identified as Cerebral Palsy; that is not at all who I am. There’s so much more to me than my CP, and having CP isn’t a bad thing. All it truly means is that I get to figure out different ways of doing things. It also means I have some abilities that others don’t.

Identifying as differently-abled can give so much power to those who don’t feel “disabled” but are seen as such. Society doesn’t identify people as differently-abled because it “gives an excuse not to be accommodating,” which is a cruel way to look at an identity.

How a person chooses to identify shouldn’t rely on the assistance they need because everyone needs some level of help.

An identity should be how one feels comfortable and wants to be seen, not how society sees them. The things people may have and need don’t necessarily mean they’re incapable of knowing who they are or how they feel.

It shouldn’t be so hard to respect people for how they want to identify.

How can we see people for who they are, not what their diagnosis is?