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For this assignment I instantly wanted to interview a person with disabilities, because in the future I know I am going to be encountering disabled people. Then it clicked, the person I can interview is Agustina. Agustina is my mother. Although I live with her and are in constant communication with her I have never seen her in the light of a disabled person. This assignment gave me a wakeup call. I am going to confess that I did feel ashamed of never considering my mother’s disabilities. Since I can remember I see her as my mother and nothing else. I never noticed the hardship it took for her to admit her disability and live with it. Her disabilities consist of migraine, fibromyalgia, and lumbar problems. In interviewing my mother I got to see how physically, psychologically, economically and socially her life changed.
My mother’s disabilities are physical. Therefore it is obvious she has physical limitations. I asked her what she misses physically before she was disabled and she simply answered her health. I still remember when she used to work from nine a.m. to five p.m. for years and years until she couldn’t any more. I theorize that by simply saying she misses her health, she is saying she misses all what she could do and can no longer do. I can now perceive she has a level of stigma. As it is said by the authors (Koppelman & Goodhart, 2011) Physical barriers can be identified easily, but it is much more difficult in America today to identify and overcome barriers created by individual ableism.
Agustina has been indirectly affected psychologically too due to her disability. I asked her if her self esteem has changed since she was disabilitated, she said yes. She feels less confident, she feels weaker physically and mentally. Then a comment came out of her that can paint a better picture of how she is affected psychologically. Agustina told me that if she had no disabilities she would be stronger in all aspects. Sadly I never picked up on the severity of the psychological after effects of her disability, which turned to be all negative. Not surprisingly people with disability carry with negative historical perceptions, for example they are classified as subhuman organisms, a menace to society, object of dread, object of pity, a diseased organism, object of ridicule, or an eternal child (Koppelman & Goodhart, 2011). To be classified under any of the examples mentioned can be dreadful psychologically.
Economically my household bettered after my mother received the social security check. The reason was very simple; my household didn’t receive my mother’s income for two years because she simply couldn’t work. There were hard times; my father had a blue collar job that barely kept us afloat. I asked my mother if the disability has helped her economically and she had a mixed answer she said yes, because she does receive something as regards to nothing, but she also said no, because she is completely dependent on the government check. Simply put, poverty can cause disability, and disability can cause poverty (Lustig&Strauser, 2007)
My mother is very introverted but does really well socializing with people and enjoys company very much. With that thought I asked her a serious of questions to see how her disability has affected her social life. I asked her if she thinks her family and friends think different of her because of her disability, sadly she answered yes because she feels they think she just doesn’t want to work implying that she is faking. I also asked her what else is different socially, she told me that she misses the socialization that happens at work, because now instead of going to work she stays home all day. It can easily be said that not having a job can affect us all, work is central to our lives and well-being (Blustein, 2008; Moos, 1986).
It is very hard to notice the hardship people with disabilities go thru. I feel ashamed of not supporting my mother as these changes took from her. It also can be seen how the changes can be masked. In conclusion I see my mother as a stronger person, who is going thru negative perceptions, low self esteem, physical barriers and not good economical solvency. I know persons with disabilities differ greatly with one another, but this is just a taste of the hardship of one, that very easily went under my nose.
After realizing this I bought her flowers and one of those soap opra magazines haha
please do the same its really hard for them true words
My mother’s disabilities are physical. Therefore it is obvious she has physical limitations. I asked her what she misses physically before she was disabled and she simply answered her health. I still remember when she used to work from nine a.m. to five p.m. for years and years until she couldn’t any more. I theorize that by simply saying she misses her health, she is saying she misses all what she could do and can no longer do. I can now perceive she has a level of stigma. As it is said by the authors (Koppelman & Goodhart, 2011) Physical barriers can be identified easily, but it is much more difficult in America today to identify and overcome barriers created by individual ableism.
Agustina has been indirectly affected psychologically too due to her disability. I asked her if her self esteem has changed since she was disabilitated, she said yes. She feels less confident, she feels weaker physically and mentally. Then a comment came out of her that can paint a better picture of how she is affected psychologically. Agustina told me that if she had no disabilities she would be stronger in all aspects. Sadly I never picked up on the severity of the psychological after effects of her disability, which turned to be all negative. Not surprisingly people with disability carry with negative historical perceptions, for example they are classified as subhuman organisms, a menace to society, object of dread, object of pity, a diseased organism, object of ridicule, or an eternal child (Koppelman & Goodhart, 2011). To be classified under any of the examples mentioned can be dreadful psychologically.
Economically my household bettered after my mother received the social security check. The reason was very simple; my household didn’t receive my mother’s income for two years because she simply couldn’t work. There were hard times; my father had a blue collar job that barely kept us afloat. I asked my mother if the disability has helped her economically and she had a mixed answer she said yes, because she does receive something as regards to nothing, but she also said no, because she is completely dependent on the government check. Simply put, poverty can cause disability, and disability can cause poverty (Lustig&Strauser, 2007)
My mother is very introverted but does really well socializing with people and enjoys company very much. With that thought I asked her a serious of questions to see how her disability has affected her social life. I asked her if she thinks her family and friends think different of her because of her disability, sadly she answered yes because she feels they think she just doesn’t want to work implying that she is faking. I also asked her what else is different socially, she told me that she misses the socialization that happens at work, because now instead of going to work she stays home all day. It can easily be said that not having a job can affect us all, work is central to our lives and well-being (Blustein, 2008; Moos, 1986).
It is very hard to notice the hardship people with disabilities go thru. I feel ashamed of not supporting my mother as these changes took from her. It also can be seen how the changes can be masked. In conclusion I see my mother as a stronger person, who is going thru negative perceptions, low self esteem, physical barriers and not good economical solvency. I know persons with disabilities differ greatly with one another, but this is just a taste of the hardship of one, that very easily went under my nose.
After realizing this I bought her flowers and one of those soap opra magazines haha
please do the same its really hard for them true words
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