Experiencing & Managing Stigma Surrounding Disabilities

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@1Marg1 @AffyAvo @aluminum1azalea @amarifey @BeyondTheInvisible @BlindGrapefruit @CaringBrit @CourtLove35 @DanaMH @Eee333 @exuberantMaple397 @Foxy1994 @Gamer87 @gardennecromancer @gloriousStar32 @goldenSpruce1512 @involuntaristua @JoyIntoDarkness @k87 @karenw @Krispykitty12 @LooneyArtimus @Mimi15 @MistyMagic @MollyElizabeth221 @NevaehRose @niceDaisy36 @NoraMeow @OneErased @parisaegyo @playfulPalm95 @ReclusiveReptile @ria4 @SipherSystem519 @Tyedyedbutterfly65 @VinylFly @wahmbrenda @WeedyGarden

@AffyAvo

What stigmas have you faced due to your disability?

My illness is invisible, so people do not see it, but I am limited in what I can do, and it seems that once people see I cannot do something, then they assume I cnnotdo a great many things, and they don't want to ask me or confirm their assumptions.

How has that stigma affected you?

I tend to isolate, and I avoid going to events that might be too hard for me.

How do you cope with the stigma that exists?

I avoid people that seem to not "get it," and I build friendships with people who are kind and supportive.

What have you done to combat stigma?

I do not know how to combat stigma. In a large organization, sometimes you can bring attention to it and address it and sometimes that makes it worse. I don't know.

What do you wish others would do to help reduce stigma?

I wish that organizations that fight stigma had more support and that people with disabilities had more opportunities socially, and financially and in terms of careers.

@AffyAvo thank you for adressing the subject that I have initiated at a higher level so it can be debated...

Stigma can be combated in a few ways identifued by me:

- inform everybody. Before initiating conversations inform and educate ("heads up") briefly your audience. I.e. I have learning disability so I kindly ask you to have patience with me or I have ADHD and please excuse me if I cannot concentrate for a long time on your subject....infirming peopke and giving them heads up helps alot. Many are not informed, or cultured but that diesen't mean they are mean people, they are good, they just don't know...

- "fight it", fight it within yourself and fight it outside. Rally friends, aquaintances, fans, familly, anyone who trully cares, rally them...

I cannot recall the documentary right now to cite it but a teenage girl with congenital malformations in her wheel chair has made it her goal to create an app for persons with disaility to map their way around handicap friendly cities, streets...she goes with her wheelchair and documents herself locations and facilities. She is optimistic and cheerful yet so focused and intelligent, sadness only deep deep behind her eyes, she is so strong...

- Stigma is aggression, whether legalised or not..., stigma means lack of education and lack of self awareness and free thinking from the part of those who stigmatise...do not hesitate to politely point out unintentional stigma or bluntly report agressive stigma...

These are just a few pointers, I found the tip, you all will find the iceberg in the end...

(When I first wrote about stigma, noone cared to give a dime, now my idea goes forward as plagiate or just as free ideas tgat need to get out some day...)

Don't fall to stigma, I never did and I helped my friends throughout their lives with stigma since I was a child...

Great initiative🤗😊🤗