Week eleven blog - Disability, Disadvantage, Vulnerability and Stigma

Jones and Creedy (2012, p. 75) define disability as a “characteristic of the body, mind or senses that affect a person’s ability to engage independently in some or all aspects of day-to-day life”. Disability, then, can vary widely. People with a disability have trouble with their speech, hearing, understanding or physical tasks. This makes their life very challenging, and they must adapt to the best of their ability to ensure quality of life. When the people they encounter in their lives treat them as objects of pity or ridicule, or treat them as less of a person, it can impact their sense of self in detrimental ways.

The disadvantages that people with disabilities come up against every day are many and varied. Public transport, dealing with bureaucracy and access are all advantages that those who don’t have disabilities take for granted. I was surprised to learn in the interview with Peter that even food on a plate can present a challenge if it is not described to him. It was a good tip for my nursing career that hopefully can help someone in the same situation.

Stigma is defined by Jones and Creedy (2012, p. 201) as “disapproval that may be attached to an individual who differs from social or cultural norms”. This disapproval can be bought against people who are different in their race, religion, sexual orientation, mental health status or disability. This can contribute to the feeling of vulnerability that may already be occurring for those that are different to society's perception of normal.

I found the interviews in this week fascinating and believe that they have taught me some valuable lessons as I move forward as a nurse. Kay who identifies as LGBT mentioned the victimisation of her son, showing that the families are also affected by bias. In the last interview, Kay who was representative of the physical disabled said an important thing for nurses to remember was that being valued and cared for made patients feel human. There was a common thread that people in these vulnerable situations want to be listened to so that they can have their needs met properly. No matter what disability or difference anyone has, they are still a person first.