Stolen Choices

Okay, so this is a blog for people with physical disabilities. And I suppose there are no limitations on how LONG one has suffered with that physical disability (or facial malformation, as in the case of the kids helped out by My Face), really. But today I've begun to ask myself, what constitutes a real disability? I mean, one that affects one's life? There are certainly varying degrees OF disability; especially one that is life-long, as those tend to be less severe in childhood and then get progressively worse, like in my case. But that's not ALWAYS the case. Sometimes there are kids born with CP confined to a wheelchair from childhood, who can hardly speak or express themselves at all. So does that mean that I'm any LESS physically disabled than they, just because I can do the things that they're unable to? We technically have the same disease. And you wouldn't say somebody with very high functioning Autism is NOT on the spectrum at all. They're still on the spectrum, they still have challenges. But they aren't as pronounced as some others on the Autism spectrum, who do have great difficulty vocalizing or communicating. Still, they "count" as disabled. I am reminded of a neighbor Michael and I made friends with when we were living in Section 8 housing for the Disabled. She's a woman more or less my age, who is very intelligent and enjoys the same things that all people do, but she's not on oxygen, in a wheelchair, and she doesn't require constant care. Yet she still qualified to live in the building with paraplegics and individuals who WERE on oxygen or otherwise in need of 24/7 assistance. I'm so grateful to have met her, though we have lost touch. I should also mention that her visual acuity was very low; she didn't drive either, like me. It's people like the two of us that I'm sure make it difficult for the SSA to make a determination about benefits. I can see why so many of us have to hire lawyers to explain to a judge that we are indeed disabled, though it's such a shame. There are so many people who claim "disability" when they honestly don't need to, and that makes it so much harder for those of us who really need it. I'm sure it wasn't easy for this friend of mine to get the help SHE needed from the government; it never is. But that brings me back to another facet of my original point: who decides what constitutes a real physical disability, and what is the criteria? The Social Security Agency has a list of qualifiers, but everything is pretty vague. I mean, back to the spectrum thing, and the varying degrees: just because you're not in the dark doesn't mean your visual impairment doesn't severely impact your life. I qualify as legally blind, though I don't use a white cane. But have other limitations which I suppose would "make up" for my not being REALLY blind. What if somebody doesn't, but they are still unable to work? Is THAT what makes a person physically disabled--their inability to work? If that were the case, just about anybody could qualify, right? Some one with social anxiety or agoraphobia (fear of crowds, open spaces) could claim disability. That hardly seems fair to those who've lost limbs or mental faculties in combat overseas, or in a horrific car accident, does it? But then again, THEY weren't disabled their whole lives, so does THAT mean they're less disabled than a chronic sufferer? There are so many considerations, it makes my head spin. And it makes me angry. What they're really doing is taking people's choices away, saying "this is how much you deserve" and "this is the lifestyle we think you should become accustomed to." And perish the thought of anyone disputing the government's decree. Heaven forbid that anybody legitimately entitled to government assistance should ask to be disabled AND married, for example.