Anyone with a disability goes through specific stages of disability identity formation identified by researchers as acceptance, relationship, adoption, and involvement. During this process, those with disabilities encounter ableist interactions in the world, which include systemic forms of ableism, such as inaccessible buildings, and interpersonal forms, including disability-related slurs.

Let me give you an example of something I recently witnessed. Members of a disability group were going to have a major event for the public. Despite most group members having physical disabilities, no special parking was provided. A local official said, “Someone can drop you off near the front door, and then they can go and park.” They seemed completely unaware that what they were asking was that the disabled person wait alone for the driver to go park the car and then come back to them. It was one instance of insensitivity on the part of this individual, but also on the part of town officials.

Healthcare professionals and members of disability support groups, as noted in my example, often engage in unconscious discrimination, including microaggressions, despite believing they are knowledgeable and empathetic. Unfortunately, research has not proven that to be so, and this has been substantiated by studies utilizing a specific research scale, The Symbolic Ableism Scale.

How we manifest our differences can be overt or covert, and it targets people’s physical, emotional, and mental differences from the social norm. People with these differences are considered a burden, objects of pity, or problems to society. Some individuals are viewed as incapable of achieving any independence and experience microaggression.

These seemingly unnoticed forms of aggression can be seen in several ways. In general, an ableist microaggression occurs when someone praises a disabled person for being inspirational simply for participating in everyday activities, such as attending school. A person who does not have a disability who commits an ableist microinsult would say something like, “She’s “too attractive” to be crippled, or when they discount a disabled person’s encounter with ableism as “not that horrible.” Does discrimination always have to be “horrible” to be unacceptable?

We appear to be partially addressing this issue today, as we start to recognize the unique characteristics of individuals with neurodivergent disorders. Similarly, when a non-disabled person speaks slowly to a handicapped person, they may engage in ableist microaggressions, implying that the disabled person lacks the cognitive ability to understand what they are saying.

As noted in a professional paper, “Ableism cannot be eradicated until disability professionals look inward and rid themselves of negative attitudes; until that occurs, disability professionals will continue to do a disservice to the very people they have dedicated their careers to — disabled people.”

Although most healthcare providers claimed they had no prejudice against people with disabilities, a survey of 25,000 revealed that many of them secretly preferred to work with non-disabled patients. While it’s concerning that studies show healthcare providers to be biased, it’s also possible that the professionals surveyed did not focus on disability or have direct patient contact with those who are disabled. That, of course, is a sampling problem that should’ve been identified even before the research was begun.

Therein lies one of the problems with these studies. Many of these disability professionals may have already developed biases, have family members with disabilities, and have a belief system that is counter to the one needed for their work. Of course, this belief system lies outside their state of awareness until they face it via the results of a validated survey questionnaire.

In contrast, disability specialists play an important role in the creation and institutionalization of information about disability, have direct control over impaired individuals, and can operate as gatekeepers. They can also have a tremendous impact on the lives of disabled people. Forty-five percent of disability advocates secretly preferred non-disabled individuals.

The challenges faced by disabled individuals are compounded by the medical model adhered to by most disability-related occupations, which pathologizes disability and views it as abnormal, fundamentally flawed, and in need of correction. If you are perceived as flawed and abnormal, how can you possibly, at the same time, have an inherent belief that you are not flawed but normal in a different way? This would seem to be partially addressed today, as we begin to appreciate the differences in those with neurodivergent disorders. Some of these individuals in the computer field (such as Bill Gates) have extraordinary abilities in concentration, information retention, and processing new technologies. What was once seen as a disability may be an advantage.

How often have you found yourself being guilty of some form of ableism and blind to your microaggressions? Most of us will not have an opportunity to take that specialized scale and come in contact with our unconscious beliefs. However, we can make a concerted daily effort to begin to realize that we do have these biases and to directly address them in our everyday lives.

The post How Unconscious Beliefs Distort Our Perception of Disability appeared first on Medika Life.

When an entrance door is over 6 feet high and thick glass with no handicap access button, how does the individual with a mobility issue enter? I have visited two office doors to medical practices where five physicians provided healthcare, and there was no way for the disabled to enter if they did not have an assistant with them.

This is not only objectionable; this is illegal. When it is an entrance to a medical practice, it would seem this is even more relevant and more of a dismissal of respect for these patients.

After WWII, disabled soldiers discovered that their sidewalks, streets, and corners were inaccessible, prompting the United States to apply curb cuts. Wheelchair users had it rough before curb cuts came along; they had to locate the closest driveway, cross the street in the face of approaching traffic, and then locate the next accessible driveway to cross the street. Even though changes were initiated, not every community or every shopping center has been inclined to include cutouts in sidewalks.

The ADA laws are quite specific as to the requirements regarding doors, styles, door widths, etc., and anyone wishing to familiarize themselves with these requirements can go to the website called “ADA compliance…”

ADA Mandates

What does the ADA mandate? The numerals in front of the requirements indicate the portion of the law it addresses. Here are a few examples of what shops, practices, community centers, and other buildings need to adhere to:

Revolving Doors and Turnstiles. Revolving doors or turnstiles shall not be the only means of passage at an accessible entrance or along an accessible route. An accessible gate or door shall be provided adjacent to the turnstile or revolving door and shall be so designed as to facilitate the same use pattern.

4.13.3 Gates. Gates, including ticket gates, shall meet all applicable specifications of 4.13.

4.13.4 Double-Leaf Doorways. If doorways have two independently operated door leaves, then at least one leaf shall meet the specifications in 4.13.5 and 4.13.6. That leaf shall be an active leaf.

4.13.5 Clear Width. Doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees, measured between the face of the door and the opposite stop.

According to media reports, the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) appears to issue inadequate warnings to riders to be cautious when riding the subway in New York City. Transit officials have been dealing with the aftermath of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s orders, which halted dozens of subway accessibility projects. A lawsuit will probably force the agency to address hundreds of subway platform gaps.

The complaint claims the MTA violates the city’s Human Rights Law by neglecting to eliminate “excessive” spaces between subway trains and platforms. Accessibility advocates say this makes the system “dangerous” for disabled and elderly riders. The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in 2022.

The 2022 agreement laid out the state’s promise to upgrade 95 percent of inaccessible stations with ramps or elevators over the next few decades. Disabled subway commuters can access only 131 of the 493 stations comprising the authority’s system.

The Restrictions on Travel

According to the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), 18.6 million Americans aged 5 and up (6.1 percent of the total population in that age bracket), 10.0 million Americans aged 18–64 (5.1 percent of the 18–64 age group), and 7.7 million Americans aged 65 and up (14.1 percent of the 65+ age group) reported having a disability that limited their ability to travel.

Individuals who reported disabilities that hindered their ability to travel disclosed the following problems:

They were less likely to be employed, live in a vehicle-owning household, and travel. They took fewer trips because of health issues and came from lower-income households. To compensate for their disabilities, they relied on others for rides, which limited their travel to daytime. They used rideshares and special transportation services like Dial-A-Ride.

However, it’s not just restrictions on travel because ADA applies to things closer to our homes, like the local library or the community center. Within the past week, I have been contacted by two individuals (one on a local Facebook page and one on my Bluesky account).

The woman on the Facebook page was reaching out to people living in her town who might help her. She lives on the upper floor of an apartment building and has mobility issues requiring the building elevator. Unfortunately, the landlord told her the elevator was being repaired and would be out of service for several weeks.

She is, as she said, “a prisoner in my home” and cannot shop, do the laundry or leave the building. The landlord had been unresponsive to her calls, as she said. The townspeople on the page offered various forms of help and directed her to the local ADA town manager.

Another woman with mobility difficulties couldn’t access the ladies’ room in the local library because she couldn’t open the door. When she indicated to library managers her need for accessibility, they informed her there was little they could do.

The town also told her they could do nothing to assist with the library door. The best solution that they offered was to prop the door open, and this, of course, raises privacy and safety issues. No one seemed to offer any help for her, and I indicated it might be helpful to look for state organizations devoted to disability issues’ resolutions. Hopefully, she will find one or more who will provide the needed aid.

Another town that had, several years ago, built a large new community center also failed to notice that both the entrance doors and the doors to the lavatories were not ADA-compliant and could not be opened without assistance.

Local officials estimated that installing a push-button door would cost $17,000 to fix the front door issue. After months of foot-dragging, they did comply and also offered a means for those with vision disabilities to access the door opener.

The work is still being considered for the lavatory doors, which have an additional impediment of a “modesty panel” directly in front of the door when it opens. This means anyone in a wheelchair has an another obstacle at the entrance.

While anyone who is able-bodied fails to appreciate the seriousness and the loss of independence as well as that of self-esteem for those with disabilities, this is still not acceptable. We must adhere to the laws and respect people’s rights.

No one wants to enter into lawsuits in order to obtain remediation of these issues, but that remains an option. Town officials should ask themselves one question: What is more expensive, fixing the door or dealing with a million-dollar lawsuit?

The post Preventing the Disabled From Entering Safely Is the Issue appeared first on Medika Life.

Social Security adjudicators working on applications for benefits have licensed professionals to evaluate the case and rate them regarding the person’s ability to perform any work. Physicians and licensed psychologists never see the applicants, only the information in the file.

Applicants that can’t lift at least 5 lbs. for a specific length of time may still be seen as able to do sedentary work, and here’s where the cards are stacked against them.

The Dictionary of Occupational titles, last updated in 1977, lists over 12,700 jobs many available for unskilled, sedentary workers at that time. Among the jobs are shoe sole gluer, fish scaler, nut sorter, dowel inspector, and egg processor. Where in the US do we have people gluing soles on shoes or sorting nuts?

A pinball machine repairer is still available, but how would a person with sedentary issues be able to do that? The jobs are still listed as existing here, and adjudicators see that as a valid reason to deny benefits to a disabled person. Shouldn’t the listings be updated? Who’s responsible for that?

Some people receive benefits who can do other than sedentary work and be employed in a variety of jobs. I recall a man that field workers found lying under his truck doing repairs on it. Another man was engaged in a home repair business, a third was pulling a boat trailer, and the list continues.

How do I know about this? I worked as a medical consultant for Disability for over a decade, and I attended meetings where they pointed out recent fraud. Adjudicators told me about the old job listings they were using to deny benefits, and as long as they were in that book, they were used.

Those who knew they didn’t deserve benefits know one thing that protects their fraudulent claims; many states may have only two field inspectors to check up on questionable claims.

How does Disability know about these claimants? It’s simple; someone reported them to Social Security. As far as I know (from my years working there), there are no regular visits to check up on those receiving benefits. A paper trail tracks some on a one, three, or never basis according to their assigned disability rating. The last are those seen as rated with no medical improvement expected, such as terminal cancer or, perhaps, another terminal illness that will result in death within one year.

Reports may prompt the inspectors to make a trip out into the field. Nosey or unhappy neighbors and vigilant citizens keen to report fraud are the banes of those who are inappropriately collecting benefits. No reports might mean a cursory trip occasionally to check up on someone. Otherwise, various forensic methods will be used to catch the fraudsters.

Think how many people have been denied because they couldn’t find a fish scaling job. Also, think about the stress, the endless hours of trying to contact someone to help, or the process of giving up in depression. Isn’t it enough that they want to work and can’t? How demeaning is that?

Don’t we determine our self-worth by how we contribute to society or our families? Being pushed aside like this is saying the disabled are worthless, and that’s not as bad as it gets. Some may commit suicide. I don’t have data on that, but it’s not a bad guess on my part.

If you or someone you know has been denied Social Security Disability benefits, you have a right to ask for a reconsideration and a review after that by a judge. Should you not be satisfied with the outcome, contact the local office of your state’s Federal Senator and ask for a “sensitive inquiry” on their part.

You can also contact an attorney who specializes in these cases. Their fee is set by law and determined by how much money (often back benefits) is realized.

The post Ruling Against the Disabled and Denying Social Security Benefits to Them appeared first on Medika Life.