We might argue over how to talk about disability but it’s a debate worth having – Metro

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Chloe_Alumni

We might argue over how to talk about disability but it’s a debate worth having – Metro

When I say ‘able-bodied’, what springs to mind? 

Do you think of me?  

Probably not, since I am a full-time wheelchair user with Brittle Bones – a genetic condition that means my bones are fragile and easily broken. 

Yet in my adapted flat in London, I don’t have a disability. 

Sure, I still have my impairment – you can plonk me anywhere, even on the moon, and it won’t disappear – but with adaptations such as a wet room, lowered work surfaces, and automatic doors and windows, I’m able to live independently. 

I only become disabled when I leave my front door and there is no dropped curb for my wheelchair to move across, leaving me stranded. 

Does this mean that, within my flat, I might be considered able-bodied?

You can read the full article here: We might argue over how to talk about disability but it’s a debate worth having – Metro

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!

Oxonlady

Someone once described me as a "disabled artist". I had to think really hard about this. The person who said it did so with good intentions, in that she believed that disabled adults and children could derive hope from my artwork and know that they too, could achieve something worthwhile. I understood this but, on the other hand, my artwork is the only activity that transcends my disabilities and makes me feel not only "able-bodied" but fully alive! So overall, I've decided not to describe myself as a "disabled artist". I can see though how this issue could spark a debate!