Resource Centre

About disability

It is estimated that from 7% to 10% of the total world population, or about 600 million people, have some form of disability. This means that there are more PWD in the world than the total population of Russia and USA combined. One in ten Europeans has a disability of a physical, sensory, mental or psychological nature. 50% of them are in working age.

Disabled people are the poorest of the poor

A large number of disabled people live in a climate of discrimination, prejudice, and ignorance, where their basic needs are often not met. Disability brings especial difficulties for women, children, the elderly, refugees etc. There are 14,000 registered disabled in Novi Sad while in Serbia as a whole it is estimated that there are 800,000 disabled people.

Definitions:

Impairment – any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function.

Handicap - the loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in ‎the life of the community on an equal level with others due to shortcomings in society and in the environment.

Person with Disability is a person with rights, who is placed in a situation where he or she is unable to function due to spatial, economic and social barriers which the person cannot overcome in the way that other citizens can.

Disabled people are confronted on a daily basis with social and physical barriers such as:

• Prejudices and attitudes towards disability;

• Inaccessibility of buildings and other architectural barriers;

• Inaccessibility of information and communication tools.

These barriers are often caused by lack of knowledge and awareness of disability. The disabled can play their part in society on an equal basis if these physical barriers and wrong attitudes are removed.

PREJUDICE means to have:

… an attitude/opinion/judgement not based on knowledge or serious consideration of the issue.

STEREOTYPE means:

… to assume that all members of a specific group behave in the same way or have the same characteristics, that they are assumed to have.

PRECONCEPTIONS are

… opinions which strongly support one approach, one solution or one side in a conflict, without sufficient unbiased information and experience of the situation as a whole or of all the opposing parties.

DISCRIMINATION

… means to differentiate positively or negatively between people and things. If the person is treated unfairly and to his detriment, solely because he/she belongs to a specific group, that is negative discrimination. By denying certain rights, discrimination causes inequality, inferiority, or denial of political, educational, social, economic and cultural rights.

… means to place a person or group of people who are in the same or similar situation at a disadvantage because of their disability.

All the above may happen at the level of the individual or an institution and may be conscious or unconscious, positive or negative.

EQUAL OPPPORTUNITIES

… is a concept describing policies, principles and measures taken to provide equality for all people in all areas of life.

Causes of discrimination

Ignorance is one of the most common causes of prejudice and discrimination. People very often think they know everything there is to know about Roma, Muslims or the disabled whereas in fact they know very little. It is always easier to come up with an explanation or interpretation of specific behaviour or customs, than to take the effort to actually discover the facts.

Power is one of the most significant roots of discrimination and prejudice. Power is the ability to impose one’s own ideas, interests and values on others. Abuse of any form of power may lead to unequal treatment of certain people, and people who are associated with prejudices and stereotypes are especially exposed to this.

Vulnerability/fear arises from a basic human need – the need for security. Fears are one of the causes of prejudice. The recognition and acknowledgement of one’s own fears is the way to reduce prejudice.

Education as a form of conscious or unconscious transfer of one’s attitudes and perceptions to children. Regardless of age and maturity, a person’s attitude, opinions and perceptions are often similar to or the same as those of the family, school or other environment. In many cases we do not ever reconsider them but take them for granted.

Conformism which arises from one of the basic human needs – the need to belong, or to be accepted by the group. We should therefore consider what the normal perceptions are in the community. What do my work colleagues, friends, family, neighbours think? It is not easy to think differently from the majority of other people, and even more difficult to say so and to behave accordingly.

Forms of discrimination

Verbal

Some forms of covert verbal discrimination against PWD are:

• Insulting language;

• Medical language;

• Sick, patient, case;

• Confined to a wheelchair;

• Paraplegic, spastic;

• People with special needs.

Behavioural

• Avoidance or denial;

• Exaggerated concern/overprotection or “let me do it for you”;

• Humiliation or “what do they know, they are invalids”;

• Pity/admiration or “I would kill myself if it were me”.

Direct threats

This threat to personal rights relates to the denial of the right to a full life, which is the jeopardizing of basic human rights:

• Inaccessibility/unsuitability of services or conditions;

• Education;

• The right to work and to earn an income.

Models/approaches to disability

Medical model of disability – this sees disability as a problem of the individual and it is therefore assumed that the individual is the one who needs to change. A disabled person is a patient, and the success of the treatment depends on whether the patient has kept to the therapy prescribed.

Social model of disability – this sees the disabled person as a beneficiary/citizen. The model promotes the disabled person as an active party who has rights and entitlements, and not as a passive object of pity and charity.

Good etiquette in communication with the disabled

1. If you recognise the need to help a disabled person, ask them how you can best help them.

2. When you introduce yourself do not avoid shaking hands with someone who has an artificial or amputated hand. Shake the left hand or just touch them in the way best suited to the disabled person.

3. Address the person directly and not a parent, partner, escort or interpreter.

4. Talk normally, using everyday phrases such as: “See you”, “Bye”, “Must dash”, “Speak to you later” – no matter what disability the person you are talking to may have. Don’t be afraid of saying the wrong thing.

5. If you are talking to a person in a wheelchair for any length of time, try and sit down so that you can make eye contact.

6. Concentrate on a person who has a speech impediment. If you haven’t understood something ask them to repeat it. Don’t pretend you understand.

7. Speak slowly and directly to a person with poor hearing. Don‘t shout, don’t speak into their ear. The expression on your face and the movements of your lips help the person to understand you. If you are not sure they have understood you – write it down.

8. When you meet blind or partially sighted people tell them your name. If you offer to help them walk, let them lean on your arm.

9. Deaf and dumb persons can understand you only by touch If you find yourself in a situation where you need to communicate with such a person, make contact by writing in large letters on the palm of their hand.

10. Do not put personal questions about their disability or its causes to a disabled person you are not very familiar with.

11. Be thoughtful and patient, it may take a disabled person longer to do something.

12. Do not give exaggerated praise to a disabled person for doing normal everyday activities.

13. If you are standing in a queue, allow a person who finds it difficult to walk, to come to the front of the queue.

14. While travelling on public transport offer your seat to a disabled person. Help them to get on a bus, tram or plane.

15. Only touch a disabled person’s aids (crutches, stick, wheelchair) if you are asked to. Don’t lean on a wheelchair, it is part of the personal space of the person using it.

16. Don’t stroke a guide dog while it is “working”. Ask the owner for permission.

17. Respect disabled drivers. When you see a vehicle with a disabled sign on the road, increase your distance, reduce speed and be more careful. Be aware that they may be slower in carrying out manoeuvres.

18. You are not expected to show pity to a disabled person. Behave towards as if towards an equal, which is what they are.

Language and terminology

The term “disabled person” relates to a person with an inherited or acquired physical, sensory, intellectual or emotional disability who because of social or other barriers is not able or has limited possibilities to be involved in the activities of society at the same level as others regardless of whether they are able to perform the said activity with the use of a technical aid or support service (The Law for the prevention of discrimination against disabled people).

Handicapped person By the use of this term a handicap is not looked on as one of the characteristics of the person but as a handicap or restriction which society imposes by inadequate access, support system or acceptance. By this very fact, society handicaps people through lack of support and non-application of the concept of equal opportunities for all.

Person with impairment/impediment/injury/learning difficulties

Incorrect: Deformed person.

In the first instance the accent is on the person, and impairment is only one of many aspects of that person. In the second case emphasis is placed on the impairment as the basic characteristic of the person.

Incorrect: Normal child/person, healthy child/person

If we were to use expressions such as normal person or healthy person that would mean that our clients are abnormal or sick which is not the case.

AVOID

1) TERMS such as autistic, spastic, paraplegic, Down’s syndrome (calling the person by the diagnosis that they have)

2) Use ABBREVIATIONS: PWD, LD, MR/DD, TMR;

3) DEROGATORY TERMS: abnormal, blind, midget, retarded, crippled;

4) Calling adults with mental difficulties – CHILDREN.