My Disability, My Identity

Your identity is everything it’s the person you are, the person you identify with and when you lose your identity who are!?

As humans in a complex world of boundaries and decisions, it’s really not all that surprising that by trying to make sense of it all we put everyone and everything into groups, categories and labels. Sometimes over complicating and forgetting that we are all just human!!

I have many identities wife, daughter, sister, disabled person/woman you pretty much get my drift, we all have different identities as individuals but some of the same at the same time, going back to labels and groups I have a ‘Disability’ people will automatically identify me as a disabled person sticking me in a category and put a label on me!

Growing up I didn’t identify as a disabled person why because it wasn’t until my late teens I started noticing a limp, muscle weakness even then it wasn’t until my 20’s when I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. But then who was I now!? I’m no longer “Normal” as people would says.

The trouble with the word “normal’ is what Is normal!?

I read a blog recently where they had written words from a book written by Lennard J Davis ‘ Enforcing Normalcy’ the historical idea and approach of what It means to be a human being, in the first Industrial revolution where production and global economy were linked to physical work the idea of being “Normal” excluded the less physically ‘ Able’ worker.

The whole concept of the word normal in my eyes outdated, as really what Is normal?!

Who is to say that normal is normal? Or that able is able? What I mean is we are all individual, we’re all wonderfully unique plus we all have a contribution to make within this crazy world. We experience different levels of ability throughout our lifetime and none of us will ever be perfect, just think even if we were would that really create an ideal world?

Finding my identity has been a long road and struggle at times but I can totally say hand on heart I’m extremely proud to identify myself as disabled woman and a person with disabilities. There is no shame in believing that making the right steps forward in including people with disabilities in ALL aspects of Society.

If I can give one bit of advice that I hope helps someone Is don’t worry, don’t put to much pressure on yourself if you feel like you’ve lost your identity, we all find our place in an ever changing context.

Lastly we are more powerful together and time is up for society, businesses, governments not to be Inclusive of all people with disabilities, THERE IS NO EXCUSE.

Kerry 💋

How do you identify yourself I’d love to know, leave me a comment.

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