These recent times are difficult, but these times are nothing new to many of those who have disabilities. Social distancing and now isolation can be extremely difficult for those of us who are social and love opportunities of being outgoing and trying new things. Sitting at home and going through the same routine each day while not having the ability to go out and having to adapt to this new situation is making many of us feel isolated, frustrated and stir-crazy all-in-one. This is new to many of us as we have not had the opportunity to experience a feeling or situation like this, but to those in the disability community this feeling is all-too familiar.
People and the disability community know this feeling all too well and had to adapt these situations many times before. While all humans know the feeling of isolation, loneliness and helplessness, it is different for those who feel and act like a typical human being, but at the same time know they are not. As stated in previous articles, every disability is different, and all cases are somewhere on a mild to severe scale. For many of those with a mild to semi-moderate disability (in most cases these disabilities are primarily physical), the brain is able to function cognitively at a typical level, meaning there are no identified deficits. This means that our brain told us that we are able to do anything that an able-bodied person can do, but our physical limitations betray our minds. This is not saying that all people with disabilities feel this way, nor is it more important than any other person’s feelings.
Due to current events and illnesses residents of all states are being asked to stay inside in order to stop the spread of illness and keep people safe and healthy. This “stay in place” order is causing many people to feel upset due to all events being canceled and isolated because we are stuck in our homes and don’t know what to do to keep ourselves busy. Many people with disabilities feel this way all the time whether we are asked to stay home or not. Our mind tells us to go out and do something, but our bodies are another. We can be in a room filled with people and yet we are all alone because we are not able to participate in what they’re doing, or it is not accessible to us. Those of us with disabilities have dealt with this obstacle most of our life because due to her disability, we are stuck in place all the time. Places and activities are not accessible to us and therefore we are isolated and often are stuck where we are at whether we want to be or not. A person with a disability cannot simply get up and go somewhere without a certain amount of planning and more often than not, with caution. Many people with physical disabilities also have some sort of immune deficiency or another condition that requires them to stay away from the general public a lot of the time and if they do decide to go out, it is not without extreme precaution and preparedness.
This article is not being written to discount the severity of a condition nor others’ feelings, but to give people a glimpse into the lives of those that consider this situation as their normal. It may not always seem like there is a bright side, but we as humans learn to adapt and make the best out of what we are given.