Three Easy Ways to Show Compassion Towards the Disabled

By Radhika Goyal

Let’s debunk disability misconceptions and break through the toxic stigma.

“I love ‘visual things’ even though I’m blind, and many blind people do. “

Overview

Due to factors such as media portrayal and stereotypes, there are several misconceptions about disabilities. Debunking these misconceptions is critical to promoting a more inclusive environment for the disabled. After all, the disabled community is left out of so many aspects of everyday life. “How can I affect inclusivity?”, you might ask. Simply through your actions! Here are three ways to display kindness when interacting with the disabled:

1. Don’t underestimate their potential

Remember all the times when you were a kid and adults underestimated your capabilities or intelligence? I think we can all agree, that such encounters made us annoyed, didn’t they? Although we might not realize it, a lot of the times we instinctively repeat similar actions towards the disabled. However, it does not always come from a bad place. In fact, most people have good intentions and want to help the disabled. In doing so, however, they forget the harms of such behavior.

Here is an example of a way you might underestimate a disabled individual:

Imagine you are an employee at your local ice cream store. Two customers walk in, one of which is in a wheelchair. Instinctively, instead of asking each person what flavor of ice cream they want, you ask “What flavor do each of you want?” to the person who is not in the wheelchair.

Let’s examine this scenario. In this case, you ask the person who is not in the wheelchair what the person in the wheelchair wants. A person in a wheelchair has their own opinion, which only they themself can voice.

When such behavior is repeatedly reinforced, it can have severe negative consequences. It can cause the person doubt themself and think “What if I actuaIly cannot do this on my own?” or “Maybe I do need to rely on other people?”. It fosters a sense of dependency as it starts to make them believe that they cannot, in fact, function on their own.

Instead, offer a helping hand whenever needed. Providing support to the disabled can be very beneficial. However, try to recognize when you are overdoing it by giving too much help, to the point that the “help” becomes an inconvenience.

2. Don’t Judge a Book by its cover

Disabilities come in several forms, and they cannot always be seen at first glance. Even a person you already know might have a disability you might not know of. Therefore, it is false to assume that you can tell if someone has a disability by simply looking at them.

One event that has especially led people to become more skeptical of people’s disabilities is occurences of people “pretending” to have disabilities. As a result, it has made it harder for the disabled community as it has caused more people to doubt the presence of their disabilities. Though such occurrences might make it seem more difficult to trust whether or not people have disabilities, we cannot simply ignore people’s disabilities because we cannot see them visually.

So what does this mean? Treat everyone you meet kindly, because you do not know what they are going through. Try to give people the benefit of the doubt, because you do not always know what they are dealing with behind the scenes. Just because you cannot see someone’s disability does not mean that they do not have one. This is also a good time to mention that regardless of whether or not a person has a disability, everyone has something going on in their lives that is private to them, so always be compassionate.

If you can tell that a person has a disability, do not make them feel abnormal. For instance, do not stare at them weirdly, as such actions can come across as rude. Instead, try to be respectful and think about how such actions might make them feel. If you are ever in doubt of whether or not an action is rude, follow the “golden rule”: Treat others how you would like to be treated. Ask yourself if you would like someone to do or say it to you, and bingo! You got your answer.

3.They’re People, Too

When we see people who appear different from us, we tend to act differently around them, which results in TREATING them differently. We must keep in mind that the disabled, too, are humans just like us. The disabled community also live their everyday lives normally - it's just that their definition of “normal” doesn’t not fully align with ours.

Here is an example of a way in which we think we are more different than the disabled then we really are:

One common misconception is that the blind do not care about things that we consider to be visual, because they will not be able to see it. Motivational speaker and YouTuber Molly Burke addresses this misconception in a YouTube video by saying “I love fashion, I love makeup. I love dying my hair fun colors.” She then goes on to say “I love ‘visual things’ even though I’m blind, and many blind people do. “

The way we express ourselves is a big part of who we are, and assuming that the blind do not enjoy expressing themselves in visual ways is one of many misconceptions regarding the disabled.

This idea of respecting the lifestyles and needs of the disabled also applies to other forms of disabilities. For instance, making fun of someone’s hearing aids, wheelchair, or other tools they use is hurtful. As long as the person is comfortable with it, it is alright to ask questions about the tools a disabled person uses in their lives if you genuinely educate yourself. However, be respectful while doing so to avoid being rude.

Through these three tips, you work towards becoming a more inclusive person. You can use them to lift up the disabled and help encourage them. Go out (though due to the pandemic, you should stay inside!) and use your actions to make the world a better place. You got this.