Disabled Identity

Question 1

Medical Model

Answer 1

Disability has always been the defining characteristic of people with them. Society blames disabled people rather than blaming society for not meeting the needs of disabled people.

Question 2

Shakespeare

Answer 2

• Disabled people often socialised into seeing themselves as victims.
• Disabled people often isolated from each other so it’s hard to form a collective positive identity.

Question 3

Social Model

Answer 3

Disability is socially constructed and it rests on assumptions of what is normal and abnormal. Society is the disabling factor as it creates social and physical barriers.

Question 4

Ridley and The Disability Charity Scope

Answer 4

• 2/3 of people feel awkward talking to disabled people.
• Disabled people are overlooked in employment.
• 43% of people think they don’t know anyone disabled which is unlikely as some disabilities are just more visible than others.

Question 5

Gill

Answer 5

When you become a member of the group that you have previously felt fear or pity for, you can’t help but turn those feelings on yourself.

Question 6

Murugami

Answer 6

• Disabled people now form their self identity based on what they can do, rather in terms of their disability.
• Disabled people have the ability to construct a self identity that accepts their impairment but is independent of it.

Question 7

Watson

Answer 7

I know this is going to sound very strange to you, but I do not see myself as a disabled person.

Question 8

Zola

Answer 8

Vocabulary used to describe disabled people is borrowed from discriminatory able bodied society.