To wonder if people who are born disabled are more able than those who become disabled?

[Souredstones]

Based on a discussion at work this one, whereby a few of us have various ailments that came on at different parts of our lives. But this discussion is hypothetical:

2 people born with severe disability, wheelchair users, their whole life they've been used to their needs which don't fluctuate. Receive DLA without need for assessment, neither persons condition requires hospital check ups or medical treatment outside the norm of what any other non wheelchair user would expect to need. Neither person takes sick leave outside the norm of any other healthy person.

2 people with fluctuating conditions (think rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia type conditions), came on anywhere from teens to later in life, required to fight for DLA and frequent assessments to keep it if they are even indeed eligible for it. Frequent hospital and medical appointments, frequent periods of sickness from work.

We couldn't resolve it other than everyone needs help and the system should be based on need.

But. I'm confused as to why one thing automatically opens a door but another (possibly more serious or more debilitating thing) doesn't.

Also does the disabling effects of a condition depend on when it life it affected you? So the earlier it hits the more used to it you are so the less disabling it is? Or regardless of when you, say, lose a leg, or go deaf, it disables you the the same degree as the next person in the same position?

There isn't one answer to the questions you ask, it is not a 'resolvable' discussion.

Well that's the conclusion we drew

Drew too, even!

I find it odd that the two born with the severe disabilities have received DLA without need for assessment. My dd was born with her disability, she is a wheelchair user and we have been assessed, more than once.

You will find the second group probably have quite complicated underdiagnosed conditions, they have fought for years. Dr's don't know everything you know! They are still discovering so much.

It's really not something that you can generalise.

I'm not sure why you think a person born with a disability would receive DLA without assessment?

You can't generalise these things. DS2 was born with a disability that fluctuates. He often needs time off school for appointments etc and needs assessment for his DLA.

The only thing that is easier with long term disability is that the longer you have it the more you understand how to cope/what you are entitled to etc. DS4 was born with similar issues to DS2 (plus some extra ones) and I feel more confident this time pushing for things like physio and I feel more confident speaking up when I disagree with the health professionals. When DS2 was a baby I wasn't brave enough to speak up which was difficult when the proffessionals disagreed with each other.

Not disabled as in wheelchair. But diabetic since aged 1. Never known it any other way. I consider that to be soooooo much easier.

I seem to recall from neurology lessons, that the brain can to some extent rewire itself, for example if a limb is amputated then the area of the brain dedicated to that limb will shrink, and more brain area will be dedicated to the surrounding parts of the body. So possibly someone born without a limb would be less disabled than someone who has just had their limb amputated, because the brain won't need to rewire.

I think any other differences are just because you learn different ways of doing things. To use the example again of a child born without a limb vs an amputee, the child will only learn how to do things one way, whereas the amputee will have learned one way and will then have to learn a new way of doing things.

It is interesting.

Dd2 was born without her hand. The experts agree that people who are born without their hand do much better than those who lose it. Which you'd expect if you imagine having to suddenly work out how to do something with one rather than two hands, plus the trauma of the accident.

But this is true with even those who lose it in the very first weeks of life. So is the brain rewired automatically? Or are they learning to cope even in the womb.

But for DLA each is a case by case benefit. So whereas it looks as though you could say "loss of 1 hand = whatever level" it doesn't work out so simply. Some don't qualify at all, some get lower, some get middle. Because each individual copes in different ways, and has difficulties with different things. eg. Dd2 really struggled with zips, but had no issues with socks. One of her friends, even at age 8yo found socks reduced her to tears if she had to do it quickly, but zips she'd sorted because her favourite coat had a zip and she wanted to do it herself.

Perhaps they just don't remember being assessed if it was all done and dusted when they were children? It would just seem another thing organised by Mum, like hospital appointments etc. If they were then given a lifetime award of DLA they might assume they'd always been entitled. Maybe.
(am assuming some conditions can get lifetime award. My ds is still a teenager so has got until he is 18).

I acquired a disability in early adulthood. I've never been assessed for DLA and got a blue badge with relative ease. It's just anecdote really tbh.

Yes you can get lifetime awards at the moment. They are going with the change from DLA to PIP though.

Some people who have lived with their conditions all their lives become very effective. People born blind for instance.

Others have never really had a chance to get started in life, because the disability has stopped them. People born too brain damaged to ever acquire language, for example. It's easier if you acquire language and then get a disability.

Fluctuating conditions are another whole ball game as it can be so difficult to get settled.

But I don't think being born with it always makes it easier. If you have always been disabled it can make it terribly hard ever to get started.

Interesting topic.

My FIL is now disabled, he struggles to walk and is on about 40ish tablets a day.
He wasn't always like this he was a fit heathy man. He becomes very depressed and hated that his independence has been taken away.

If he was born that way who knows what he would be feeling like.

If you become disabled later in life it can be very hard to adapt.

On the other hand, you have had the benefit of education and early career as a non disabled person. Less prejudice, more opportunity. Your FIL might well not have found anyone willing to marry him, back in the day. H almost certainly wouldn't have the job and the assets he has now.

I used to support disabled students. Those who had become disabled were typically angrier than those born disabled. But those born disabled had had a much rougher ride, no question. It is easy to under estimate just how much you miss out on, if you are disabled from birth. If you look at someone well adjusted and ingenious at dealing with their condition, it's easy to forget that you weren't there when they were a suicidal teen or a weeping little girl having yet another operation instead of going to school.

My boys have an eye condition which means they are partially sighted but they were born with it. I've been told many times that it is better that they have never had perfect vision (bad wording but you see what I mean).

DLA is inconsistent. Both my boys have the same level of eyesight but one got a lifetime award of DLA, the other didn't. Lifetime awards mean almost nothing anyway as you can still be reviewed or reassessed at any time.

chronicallylurking - err not sure your memory is serving you well. my brain certainly has not compensated for my leg which was amputated when i was 18 months old. it was too busy dealing with pain, discomfort and other body malformations which still affect me every day 36 years later.

yes, I cope well because I have to. I can't let it get the better of me though there are times it does and they are dark days.

often my disability is not obvious to others but that's because i have contorted my body to appear to move normally. I even carried two babies. but i am already paying the price physically for these and my bones and muscles are ageing quicker than others my age.

regarding the argument about who struggles more, it will be harder to adjust to a different way of living when acquiring a disability in the teens or later in life but the levels physical and emotional turmoil will be the same for anyone with a disability no matter when that disability was acquired.