Little organization 'reaches' to help those with disabilities
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=10054db5-ff8d-475d-8ac5-f4199fde500d
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=10054db5-ff8d-475d-8ac5-f4199fde500d
"Reach helps not only people with physical disabilities but also disabilities like epilepsy, AIDS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and psychiatric disabilities with all areas of law including employment, human rights, personal injury, real estate, immigration, and criminal."
Comment:
The way this is written, it could easily be misconstrued as stating that epilepsy, AIDS, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are not physical disabilities. I don't think that was the intent, but word choice and sentence structure are everything. The meaning here as a result of the placement and usage of the word "physical" is altered and hurtful.
Being disabled by any disability, including a mental one, brings stigmata. Adding additional stigmata of "mental illness" to an illness which is not mental increases stigmata and hampers attempts at obtaining proper care and accommodations.
Epilepsy, AIDS, and CFS are very much organic and biological, therefore qualify as physical illnesses. But this sentence inadvertently implies they are not physical, hence psychiatric I'm sure that was not intended and write with the hopes of rectifying this unfortunate oversight.
Many people with invisible disabilities struggle with harassment and discrimination in employment, school, and social interactions because "you look fine". Their disabilities are cast aside as a figment of their imagination, yet the suffering is as real as being wheelchair bound. Sometimes invisible disabilities, such as pain and fatigue can even be more disabling than being wheelchair bound. All of this is frequently not understood when looking at a person with an invisible disability who appears normal, but is sick inside and frequently is homebound, hence unseen, during periods when they are not well.
When a disability is not apparent to the naked eye, often the disabled person is told "just take an antidepressant and stop complaining" by well-meaning, but uniformed, others. This only serves to deligitimize a disabled persons suffering and creates hardships with obtaining accommodations, care, employment, and filling other human needs. Further, deligitimization may lead to feelings of not being understood, being alone, anxiety, and depression. Hence, it creates a new illness.
A statement of more clarity would avert this. For example, "Reach helps not only people with visible disabilities, but also invisible disabilities like epilepsy, AIDS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and psychiatric disabilities. Reach assists in all areas of law including employment, human rights, personal injury, real estate, immigration, and criminal."
Is there any way to issue a clarification or correction? Otherwise, this is a great article sharing a very important resource. I commend you for putting this resource out there.
Sincerely,
Lourdes Salvador
MCS America
