'Everyone Has a Disability': Why This Is a Lie

Welcome back to Musings of an Arthritic Artist! Today I'm going to be doing another opinion post.

I'm going to be talking about a phrase I've seen pop up in different places on the internet. This phrase is 'everyone has a disability.' I'm going to go into what this means and why I think it's wrong.

Let's get into the post!

King, Alexandria. Musings of an Arthritic Artist. 2021.

There are a few disabled people who say this. That isn't a problem. It's just a varying opinion from mine. I understand where the people using this phrase are coming from. This phrase is used to encourage empathy and compassion to people who are ignorant, particularly when it comes to disability and the lives of disabled people. 

However, I don't agree with it, for reasons I will go over.

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Disability is more than just a disadvantage. Disability comes with a lot more. It comes with fatigue, doctor's appointments, medications in many cases, medical issues, and pain. Disability isn't as simple as 'I have a disadvantage.' It's more so 'why does my body hate me?' and/or 'why can't I do this thing 'normal' people can do?' and I'm not just being dramatic or pessimistic. 

Honestly, just go by definition. The first definition is 'a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities.' Synonyms are 'disorder,' 'condition,' 'illness,' and 'disease.' It isn't until the third definition when you get things that are characterized as disadvantages. The first things that pop up if you Google 'disability' are links to SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and disability benefits for Social Security. Next, I get disability stuff based on my state. 

Disability coexists with medical conditions. In order to be disabled, you have to have a disabling medical condition, whether physical or mental. It has to persist and impact daily activities. It can't be 'my disability is procrastination.' Procrastination is not a medical condition. Procrastination can be a symptom of many medical conditions, such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and some personality disorders. However, procrastination by itself is not a medical condition, nor is it a legal disability. 

In order for something to be a disability in the legal sense, it has to be the result of an illness, disease, disorder, or condition. Again, I understand the thought process behind this, but in my opinion it just blurs the disability lines. A lot of people seek disability benefits, such as from Social Security, or even just by trying to get a placard to park in a handicapped parking, and making it seem as if everyone has a disability only serves as a barrier to the people who need accommodations at their school or place of employment.

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Let's bring up basketball. Short people are at a disadvantage when trying to join the NBA, but it's not impossible. There is no minimum height requirement to play in the NBA. The shortest player in NBA history was Muggsy Bogues. He played for 14-seasons between 1987-2001. He was only 5'3. 

So, while being short means that you are at a disadvantage when it comes to joining the NBA, it isn't impossible. Not just that but a disability also means that you can't do certain things the way 'normal' people can. Playing in the NBA isn't something everyone can easily do. Nor is playing basketball. 

Disabilities are normally things that limit movements, affect day-to-day life, and cause pain. While someone being short can affect their day-to-day life, it isn't necessarily going to cause pain due to a medical condition. For the record, when I'm talking about short people, I do not mean people with dwarfism.

I'm going to adapt an Incredibles quote to suit this post. When everyone is disabled, no one is. By saying that everyone has a disability, it erases disability because everyone has it, so it's normal. There are ways of 'normalizing' things without resorting to methods that may only erase the thing you're trying to normalize. 

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Having a mental illness doesn't disqualify you from playing in sports, but if you want to join the US Armed Forces, bipolar disorder is disqualifying. However, you can still play in pro sports leagues, such as the NHL, where Robin Lehner, a goalie with bipolar disorder, plays.

There are many things you cannot have if you want to join the US Armed Forces. This includes being a wheelchair-user, having celiac disease, and other things that may disqualify you. Arthritis could be disqualifying. Mental illnesses can be disqualifying. As far as height goes, male recruits have a minimum-maximum height of 5'0 to 6'8, while female recruits have a minimum-maximum height of 4'10 to 6'8.

Again, disability is more than a disadvantage, and when it's implied otherwise, it blurs the lines and doesn't show the full story. 

For another, empathy and compassion can't be completely taught. Empathy can be learned/taught, but it is up to the individual whether they actually apply it to their lives. Teaching these things helps, but I'm not sure this would in the long run. 

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If we really want to use this phrase, then all I have to say is that everyone who is disabled has a disability, but not everyone who has a disability is disabled.

Needless to say, I don't agree with this phrase. It doesn't make sense logically, but it also doesn't make sense in practice. 

That's it for this post! I hope you enjoyed it! 

See you Thursday, 

Lexi K🖌