Celebration of World Disabled Day – December 3rd

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Social barriers
Stigma takes many forms and occurs at many levels, emerging when people feel uneasy or embarrassed about perceived ‘difference’. It begins with the application of a label that marks a person or their behaviour as shameful, ‘abnormal’ or flawed. Stigma, through rejection and disapproval, denies a person full and equal social standing creating a significant barrier to service access.

An example of some common stereotypes that have emerged from a history of devaluing people with a disability include:

• disability is a monumental tragedy
• people with disabilities are objects of pity and charity
• people with disabilities who do ‘normal’ things (like holding an interesting job or getting married) are exceptional
• people with disabilities lead boring and uneventful lives
• people with disabilities are brave and saintly
• people with disabilities are asexual, eternal children

Arabic Forum