I recently read that Lemos & Crane is working with the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, with support from The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, on a three-year project looking at harassment of people with learning disabilities.
A range of organisations have been invited to take part in the action research and to describe the nature and extent of harassment of people with learning disabilities that they are aware of. Their responses indicate disturbingly common expressions of harassment. These include:
• Verbal abuse and imitative behaviour intended to humiliate, with schoolchildren often being the perpetrators.
• Shopkeepers and staff losing patience and abusing people with learning disability who they perceive to be rude.
• People with learning disabilities being approached and ‘befriended’ for financial exploitation (stealing benefit money, for example).
All of this is, without doubt, profoundly disturbing to the person on the receiving end of such harassment. However, there are many individuals for whom it is not readily recognisable that they have a learning disability. Some time ago, I encountered such a person within a seminar that I was running.
After having outlined what was required for a particular group exercise, one lady approached me and told me that she was unsure what was required of her, explaining that she had a learning disability. Once again, I gently reiterated the instructions. She again affirmed to me that she had a learning disability and how she would struggle.
Patiently, I once more walked her slowly through what was being asked of the groups, asking her to indicate where she was unsure of what was required of her. Given the one-to-one attention, it was clear that she had, in fact, understood clearly what was being asked of her but her self respect had caused her to doubt it. She thanked me for the clarification, again drawing attention to the disability and then proceeded to engaged with the group satisfactorily.
Reflecting on the situation, it appeared to me, that this lady was conditioned to expect not to understand such instructions because she had ‘a learning disability!’ Yes, of course, there would be times when she would need special guidance and attention. That would be part of her needs at various times.
However, language is a powerful tool and, used in the wrong way, can be detrimental to the vision we hold of ourselves. This lady saw herself as someone who was dis-abled, un-able, who had a dis-ability and it was negatively influencing her sense of self-respect. Imagine if we were to change the language so that she was described as ‘someone who has specific or special learning requirements.’ It carries a very different feel to that of being referred to as one with ‘a learning disability.’ Put yourself in her shoes for a minute…….
More than 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability. Should we start a campaign to change the descriptor towards a more positive vocabulary and maybe contribute, to whatever extent, in positively effecting self esteem?
