Changing The Way We Talk About Disability | Amy Oulton | TEDxBrighton

In my experience the hardest thing about being disabled is not the disability itself, but the way normal people perceive the disability.The resulting stereotype slams many doors of opportunity shut, whether it be forming friendships or looking for work, every facet of disabled life is colored by it. The best way I can describe the effect of this preconception or disabled stereotype is a feeling akin to the contempt or scorn a homeless person must inevitably feel from the masses. Normal people get and give a basic respect, that disabled people just don't receive. Instead, this basic respect is replaced by contempt and pity. Without this basic respect real friendships and regular relationships between co-workers cannot exist. There always seems to be an invisible wall or ceiling that is rarely breached. This ceiling, in my experience eventually leads to circumstances where the individual is setup to fail by the majority until the the person gives up or quits. It is extremely frustrating because when exclusion becomes the rule, instead of inclusion, it adds up to lose of opportunity, which ultimately determines ones ability to become successful.

"hyper-visible and also completely invisible" woah I love that quote it means a lot

Everyone should watch this. We all have to learn these things together as a society

One of the things that is very difficult about being disabled is seeing how some disabled people do well and do things like traveling to another country and most disabled people like myself live an average or below average life .

So good to see this and see you talk about your experiences and not someone else talk about someone in a wheelchair...

Hi Amy - I don't know if you will see this, but my name is Claire, and I have Hypermobile EDS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and a few other EDS co-morbid disorders thrown in the pot. I am still walking thanks to a mixture of many, many braces, a cane, lots of lido-cane patches and ace bandages, and a dash of sheer force of will. I want you to know your video was really thought provoking and . Before my disability was visible (aka before it was bad enough that I needed multiple braces and a cane, visibly marking me as disabled) I still had almost all of my symptoms just as badly. Yet doctors did not believe me, strangers did not believe me, and honestly some days I wished I had visible markings of my disability. Well, the doctors believed me when I had brain damage and damage to my optic nerve, and shortly thereafter my condition deteriorated and my invisible disability became very much visible. Now, I get asked a minimum of 3 times a day if I "fell/sprained my ankle/got in an accident", which befuddles me because I have like 7 braces, a face mask, and more on, and only one of the braces is even on my ankle. With this question, I'm forced to either just say yes or say no, I have a genetic condition, and explain EDS briefly. I get two responses to this. Most often, I get a kind of horrified, quiet sort of pity - a sudden hesitation to question further (which they should have had in the first place, to be honest) now that know what I have is not going to heal or go away in a matter of weeks or months, but will be a lifelong battle. The other response I often get is that I am inspirational/amazing for still staying in school - a few people have even implied (one flat out said) that I was inspirational for living. I was like... thanks? I'm glad you find me inspirational for not... killing myself I guess? I just want people to understand and appreciate that I live with pain and fatigue and have some sympathy if every now and again I need an extension on an assignment or cancel on a night out. Congratulate me if I get an award or graduate or something, not because I'm disabled but because that's an achievement in and of itself. I'm human first and foremost, and I happen to have a disability. Thanks for the Ted talk :) loved it

Society loves to labels n judging people. But believing in one self n continue living our ordinary living just like others. Inspiring. Thank you, bless you. All your dreams come true.

Yes yes YES!!!!!! I have EDS as well and am a part time wheelchair user. I resonate with everything you said. SPOT ON!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Aside from all the topics, I LOVE HER ACCENT! I could stay ours long and listen to her! I wish I had such a sweet and soft accent

"hyper-visible and also completely invisible" those quotes were really amazing . The topic about how society judge's you really terrified me .

She’s such a cool and beautiful person! That backpacking trip must have been incredible

still searching for videos on disability in order to get my disability away. Thanks for this.

"...things that will tip me out on my face, and steps." Sooooooo true.

Honestly tow big things abled people don't realist. STARS ARE EVERYWHERE! I'm not kidding, EVERYWHERE. Also, disabled is not a bad word, you can ask me "what's your disability". That is a million times better than "what's your, you know, your thing'

More people need to learn about this...

Very well spoken.

This is a great talk. Glad to see more conversations on inclusion.

Everyone just wants to be treated like everyone else.

I just look bad from the muscular dystrophy and there's nothing I can do to convince people im just physical disabled from genetics, not paralyzed, but physically weak 24/7.

I just finished filming and uploading a video, "My Superpower", about Tiffany Manning, an artist and Halloween prop maker who also brings much of her experience with Osteogenesis Imperfecta into her work and Halloween characters. She mentioned to me how she wants people to see her art and passion first and not the wheelchair. She does want to bring awareness to OI but would love people to see her as a person and artist first and that this can be very difficult if many life aspects.