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Disabled community - how do we feel about people who wear glasses (and have no other conditions) claiming it& #39;s technically a disability?
When a person in my class did this is made me uncomfortable personally. But I& #39;ve heard arguments otherwise.
When a person in my class did this is made me uncomfortable personally. But I& #39;ve heard arguments otherwise.
I wonder if my discomfort comes from the concept of disability as an identity. Do I know any glasses-wearers w/o any other conditions who would just... call themselves disabled? Claim that label? No, I& #39;ve never seen one internalize it like that.
Under a medical model of disability, needing glasses to function is an impairment and therefore technically a disability.
Under a social model... eh idk I& #39;m not an expert in disability theory. But I believe the accessibility of society to glasses users makes it less so.
Under a social model... eh idk I& #39;m not an expert in disability theory. But I believe the accessibility of society to glasses users makes it less so.
Nobody is going to kick you out of a store for your glasses. There is not wide scale oppression of people wearing glasses. You won& #39;t get to a destination and then realize you can& #39;t use the building because you need glasses.
BUT - that& #39;s looking through a lense of privilege.
BUT - that& #39;s looking through a lense of privilege.
I could not go to school one day because I lost my glasses.
It& #39;s coming from a place of privilege if we assume everyone who needs glasses has access to them. Because they don& #39;t. Glasses are expensive. And they are an accessibility device. What about when you can& #39;t afford them?
It& #39;s coming from a place of privilege if we assume everyone who needs glasses has access to them. Because they don& #39;t. Glasses are expensive. And they are an accessibility device. What about when you can& #39;t afford them?
Maybe I& #39;m not uncomfortable that they claimed glasses were technically a disability. Instead, that they used that fact to say they were in the "target" category (target vs agent of oppression) for the identity "disability" w/o addressing or acknowledging their privileges there.
Like, my guess is that they & other people in a similar position wouldn& #39;t call themselves "disabled"
So it rubs me the wrong way I think as a disabled person when people seem to be getting around acknowledging privilege with "well, *technically* I& #39;m a target"
So it rubs me the wrong way I think as a disabled person when people seem to be getting around acknowledging privilege with "well, *technically* I& #39;m a target"
I think of how I addressed my bisexuality in class (we were having discussions of privilege)
I talked about how I& #39;m a target, yes, but also have privilege in that I& #39;m currently in a straight passing relationship. It means I& #39;m being misgendered but also means I& #39;m not harassed.
I talked about how I& #39;m a target, yes, but also have privilege in that I& #39;m currently in a straight passing relationship. It means I& #39;m being misgendered but also means I& #39;m not harassed.
I talked about that dichotomy w/ a friend when we broke out into smaller groups. She pointed out how she& #39;s a target for gender because she& #39;s a woman, but that she also holds a lot of privilege because she& #39;s a cis woman.
I wish we were seeing the same nuance with needing glasses.
I wish we were seeing the same nuance with needing glasses.
And I don& #39;t mean to pick on that person in my class. They& #39;re super sweet honestly and I think it was was more of a well intended "woah, I never thoght of it this way - I technically am a target?"
But it& #39;s a topic I& #39;ve had come up a few times before & usually lacking in nuance.
But it& #39;s a topic I& #39;ve had come up a few times before & usually lacking in nuance.
For context:
I am disabled
I also wear glasses
My vision is about 20/600
I do not currently consider this to be an additional disability
If I could not afford glasses, this would absolutely be an additional disability.
I am disabled
I also wear glasses
My vision is about 20/600
I do not currently consider this to be an additional disability
If I could not afford glasses, this would absolutely be an additional disability.
