Disability Awareness
Things that you may not know
I wanted to talk about this before the awareness month was over so here I go.
When most people hear the words disability or disabled they automatically assume that it’s something physical. That’s not always the case though. Having a disability doesn’t always mean that you need a wheelchair. Some unusual wiring in the brain or chemical imbalance can also put a person in the disability category. Whether the person has dyslexia, autism, bipolar, or Multiple sclerosis, they all are considered a disability.
I also want to say that even though a person is noted as having a disability, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have feelings. Many people who suffer with a disability find it hard enough to live life without being teased or disregarded because of it. If you are curious about a disability that someone might have, educate yourself. If possible ask questions and learn how you can help. Now, as mentioned above there are various illnesses or diseases that can make you disabled. I will now start with a few physical ones.
Some Physical Disabilities
Spine and spinal cord injury is a big one that many people may experience in their lives. This can happen from car accidents, work accidents, and years of ware and tear. Degenerative disc disease is one that can sometimes affect a persons physical activity because the discs within the spine start to deteriorate. Some discs may even put pressure on the spinal cord which then may lead to surgery or paralysis.
Cerebral Palsy is a disorder that much of the time happens during the growth of the brain before or during birth. If the pregnant mother gets severely sick, the illness can slow down the oxygen and blood supply to the babies brain therefore causing CP. Some may get the disability later in life though because they suffered from Meningitis, stroke, or a severe head injury.
Multiple Sclerosis happens when a protective sheath or tissue which is around the nerve fibers in the body becomes damaged. This damage that creates scars can then get in the way of messages that are being sent through the central nervous system. This interference then affects the brain, the spinal cord, and the optic nerves. This can be a fast or slow progression that will leave you with many physical challenges.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects the persons body with seizures. Doctors aren’t sure why some people suffer with epilepsy but have connected it to some patients that have had brain infections or injury, strokes, cancer, and brain abnormalities. You could walk right by someone who suffers from epilepsy and not even know it.
Other people with physical disabilities could be easily suffering from neuropathy. Neuropathy is a nerve disease that affects mostly the hands and feet. The sufferer feels pain, pins and needles, numbness, and even weakness. It’s a condition that can make it difficult to do many normal things in life. Just like Rheumatoid arthritis that can be very painful.
There are so many other physical disabilities out there that you can research for yourself. But I think that anyone who lives with any of these diseases should be applauded. The daily fight that they must have to deal in order to live a halfway decent life, it’s got to be very hard at times. Now, onto the other illnesses that can be categorized as a disability. Learning and mental disabilities.
Some Learning and Mental Disabilities
Dyslexia is a learning disability where the person struggles with reading. They can not understand the connection between the sounds to the words. They also have trouble with understanding the meanings of words and sentences. And it’s not that they are stupid but it’s the wiring in the brain that is different from others.
APD (Auditory Processing Disorder) is a learning disorder where the person struggles with hearing the words correctly. Their brain has trouble deciphering the differences of the sounds that each word makes, therefore making it difficult to read and write.
Autism comes from the different wiring in the brain which can make it difficult for the person to communicate, understand body language, learn basic skills, and even make eye contact. Again, they are not stupid, they are just wired differently and learn in a different way.
Anxiety Disorders, although some can be more severe at times, it is all about worry. Some may worry to an extreme that they have panic attacks which can be debilitating. I have suffered with some of these throughout my life and they can put you down for a while. Some medications can help as well as deep breathing and meditation.
Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness that affects a person in two different ways. A person can be very depressed for a while, be withdrawn, moody, and feel like there is no hope. Then, maybe weeks later feel energetic, over confident, maybe disorderly, and sleep less. These shifts can create an unstable personality which in turn makes life for them difficult. Some medications can help to a degree but it’s no cure.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is more of a neurodevelopmental disorder. This is where the person struggles with cognitive understanding which then affects their behavior. The person may have trouble thinking and will struggle with understanding reasoning and remembering things. Because of this, their behavior might be a little off sometimes. They might not be able to pay attention or focus all the time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, so many of us struggle with some sort of disability but we are still intelligent people. We have feelings, we get dressed everyday, we eat like everyone else, and we try to survive like everyone else. Yes extra help may be needed for some. But if you or someone you love struggles with a disability but wants to live the best life possible, wouldn’t you want the help?
The past years I have noticed that things are getting worse when it comes to helping others. So many people seem to only care about themselves. So much preaching is out there to become one nation as a whole, but I don’t see it. I don’t see the respect for each other anymore. I could go on about that but that could be for another post. March is disability awareness month and I just want everyone to just be aware that not all disabilities are visible. Many of us struggle in other ways. Be patient, be respectful, and be nice. Thank you and God bless.
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Well said, or should I say well written !