I have heard a lot of ignorant comments, myths, stereotypes and misunderstandings about the disabilities I have. What are the most ignorant or annoying things you have heard or read about your disabilities?
comfortably_numb_c2
Favorite Answer
I was at a mall once and an older lady came up to me and said "People like you should not be out in public", I asked her what she ment and she said " no one wants to see someone who cant move and needs a damm machine to breath for them", from that point on the conversation went down hill real fast.
★ Sierra
I've been told by some people that I shouldn't be allowed to live a normal life or take risks, because I have a learning difficulty.
I am not thick or stupid and it doesn't matter how much I tell these people, they don't listen because they don't want to trust me. They all seem to think that I'm just making a load of nonsense.
I've been called, retard, stupid, tw@t, pig face, birkett, spag, dinosaur brains, etc all because I have Dyslexia.
Apparently to some people, I don't know how to think and care for myself.
Some people don't know what a learning difficulty is to be honest. Because it ends with the word "Disability or Difficulty", they immediately think I'm intellectually and mentally challenged and I'm really stupid.
When I write this in my C.V or tell someone, they just stop speaking to me and ignore me.
Georgie
I often hear comments that "Dyslexia is made up" "Its not a real disorder", "Dyslexia is just an excuse for being stupid and lazy" and other uneducated comments.
Ignorant comments about CFS & Fibromyalgia, "oh but you look so well", "I am tired too", "isn't that were you can't get out bed?".
"You can't have that, you work" (I can only work part time, one day one day off, and only for a few hours).
"My friend had that for 6 months, she's better now" my reply to this is; to be diagnosed with CFS you have to have unrelenting fatigue etc for more than 6 months, here is some information on CFS.
"My knees have been really achy lately - maybe I have fibromyalgia."
"You need to try harder or do more exercise".
"Oh you think, you have that" or "who told you have that" my comment to this is; I have four formal independent diagnosis from medical professionals, whats your medical qualifications.
Strangely if they see me at my worst, they complain that I can't speak, let alone think clearly, why can't you sit still, why you can't walk in a straight line, are you drunk?, "hey I was talking to you and you went to sleep". When I finally snap and say well this is CFS & Fibro they shut up.
I also work people people with disabilities, many of whom are unable to communicate verbally, and then its assumed that the person is able to think for themselves, its amazes me how many times people direct a comment or question to me and not the person.
Anonymous
Some 15 year old told someone that was 30 that they were a "cyst on society" because they listened to metal. BQ: Feeling fine, drinking wine and rocking out!! BQ2: Scale The Summit BQ3: Im keeping my options open ;)
@*o*@
I have often seen people make comments like "if you really had Asperger's syndrome you wouldn't be aware of you being different from everyone else" and "if you really had Asperger's syndrome you wouldn't be able to ask and answer questions this well" when someone asks about Asperger's syndrome.
I've heard many people say that Asperger's syndrome is a fictional disorder, made up as an excuse for various things (whatever they think we need to excuse). I recently read a comment on Y!A saying that people with AS insist on abdicating the responsibility to look after themselves.
A lot of people think that there is no difference between having Asperger's syndrome and being a shy and introverted nerd with low self-esteem.
And then there are all the stereotypes, like all Aspies are good at math, all Aspies are savants, Aspies can't have empathy, Aspies can't have successful and meaningful relationships...
Some people also think that all Aspies are the same, so if they have met or heard about one Aspie they think the rest of us are exactly the same as that one, as if we can't have different personalities like other people.
Some people think that everything we do and everything about us is because of Asperger's syndrome. If we make a mistake, people think it's because we have AS. If we are in a bad mood one day, people think it's because of AS. If we have some bad personality trait, people think it's because we have AS. If we have an opinion on something, it's not valid because we have AS, so people think we can't think straight.