# Perceptions of Disabilities in Other Cultures

Category: Language and Culture

## Post 1 by Click_Clash (No Average Angel) on Tuesday, 27-Oct-2009 16:38:32

Hi everyone,
I figured this would be one of a couple of great places to pose this question, as there are so many people with disabilities from various cultures on here. I'm a client and a volunteer at the Memphis Center for Independent Living. Today at our outreach committee meeting, we discussed ways in which we could reach out to people from different cultures. Currently, we're focussing most of our efforts on the African American and Hispanic communities, as they are the biggest minority groups in our city. Someone on the committee made the point that people with disabilities are often thought of as sick and being in the constant care of doctors and nurses but that in the Hispanic community, people are cared for almost entirely by their families. I then brought up the fact that as much as we complain here in the US that we who have disabilities are often denied our rights and the ADA is not enforced (which is certainly true), a lot of countries have little in the way of laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities. So, I'd like to hear from people from different cultures about the perceptions of disabilities in your country and, if you've moved to a country that is supposed to protect your rights, how you found the difference. Do you utilize the laws set up to protect your rights? Have you come into conflict with members of your family who prefer to stick to the ways of your native culture? Have you been discriminated against in your new country?
Any opinions would be appreciated.
Becky

## Post 2 by Senior (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Tuesday, 27-Oct-2009 16:53:26

I think that you could ask several visually impaired people from the same cultural background, and living in the same town or city this question and get entirely different answers, which may contradict each other.
While there are some people with discriminatory and backward attitudes, most of the people I have met have been helpful. By helpful I mean they have offered me help even if I didn't need it. It is nice to know that people are willing to help me if I need their help.
I work in the voluntary sector. So far all the volunteers I've recruited have had the right attitude and have been willing to help when their help is required. Of course, they only get their expenses, so that may explain why the type of people who would see helping people as a job haven't applied for any roles.
I find that I am treated the same as other people, and the visually impaired people I know are usually treated like other people.
People may not always be fully knowledgeable about visually impaired people but if something is properly explained to them and you are as considerate of them as you want them to be of you, that is not a problem.
I think that some people I've met suspect that people are hostile towards disabled people in general, when they are not very aware.
I know of people who believe that some people or organisations only think of people as disabled if they look disabled. For example if you're transporting a blind asthmatic who wants to be parked nearto the venue so he doesn't have so far to walk, the organisation may not see the physical impact of the disability because the asthmatic doesn't have a wheelchair.

## Post 3 by Perestroika (Her Swissness) on Thursday, 25-Feb-2010 14:43:25

Speaking as someone who has travelled a lot, and experienced different cultures, I can say that middle eastern and asian people have a totally different atitude to europeans.
In european countries, I have been treated exactly the same as in australia, in some places even better than home. Switzerland is an incredibly forward thinking country, as is Norway.. My disability means little there and people are much more likely to ask me how I want to be helped and what I need at places like airports. People there are much more used to meeting independent disabled people.
things are also more accessible to blind and disabled people, lifts will speak, and so do some ATM machines, this is true also of australia. they have lines that mark the ground so you can follow it and they tell you when the road is, they have lights that make noise and everything, there are always ramps in these very public places, for people with wheelchairs and so on, it's really good.
However, when i went to Brunei, I found that the country was very inaccessible. the airport people tried to force me into a wheelchair without asking, and when i wanted to go on the outside tour for those who were there for 7 hours, they were against it, but i insisted until they let me.
it's a country set up for sighted people. no talking lifts, no ramps, no rails on stairs as far as I could see.
the tour guide was surprised to see a blind person travelling alone. he told me that in their culture, the family always looked after the disabled people. they got money from the government and were not expected to work and were not encouraged to seek higher education. certainly they almost never left the house without a sighted person with them.
I've experienced the same sort of treatment in places like Thailand, Dubai, Korea and China. in most cases they try to get me into a wheelchair and do not even ask if it's what I want. they try to take over everything, wanting to hold on to my boarding card or passport, and they try to talk as little as possible to me because they assume I can't answer questions for myself.