Self identifying as disabled

[GCautist]

There’s a slight furore in Scottish politics I was reading about on Twitter last night, where it was stated in an SNP doc that a potential candidate who self identified as disabled or BAME would be placed at the top of the list for list votes to ensure better representation in parliament.

On the surface having diverse representation is much needed but there’s been a lot of issue with the term ‘self identify as disabled’.

IMO there’s a difference between declaring you have a disability and self identifying as having a disability and it’s the wording rather the policy itself that is problematic.

Aibu to think you can’t identify into being disabled in the same way you can’t identify out of being disabled?

Can we please discuss this issue without it turning into a rant about independence (for or against) or how awful you personally believe Nicola Sturgeon is?

It took six years for my sons autism to be diagnosed because he wasn’t “typical” - turned out that co-morbid PDA was partly the reason for this (news flash, some autistic people can feel empathy). My daughter still doesn’t have an official diagnoses, she just has a report the school Ed psych wrote indicating that she had clear traits/triad of impairments but she’s very good at masking.

At the time of my kids assessments CAMHS were not accepting any referrals except those at immediate risk of suicide.

Their autism impacts their lives every day and they have both suffered discrimination because of it. Dd is currently battling with college (who were really supportive until a change of management 18 months ago) who say that she can’t expect any adjustments in the real world.

So yes, the hell they will self ID as autistic/disabled.

Incidentally dd tells me she’s convinced both me and my mother are autistic. It would make sense. I find making friends incredibly difficult, have food issues, am very black & white, I trained myself to fake eye contact and need life to be ordered

But there is no way I’d even be considered for a diagnosis.

Some councils provide cards that can then be shown, it replaced the registered disabled list. But for them there is strict criteria and proof is needed. Many people still refer to it as the register.

@tatutata

All part of the crazy. By the time I'm old I'll probably be in a labour camp to atone for the sin of whatever people decide the latest oppression is.

Must be lovely in your world, unaffected by ‘the crazy’

For BB,pip,dla there is a point where it is judged that someone’s condition changes from being a difficulty to being disabling to the point of the award. Outside of this it is more complex but I am OK with the self identification as long as there was some element of providing proof.

I am afraid that being able to self identify as disabled just lays it open to abuse. If you have a disability, even if it is mental health or hidden, you should be able to get someone in a professional capacity to agree with you. That has to be done thoughtfully and kindly of course, but what is to stop me identifying as disabled because I have a cold? Or hurt my ankle yesterday?

That has to be done thoughtfully and kindly of course, but what is to stop me identifying as disabled because I have a cold? Or hurt my ankle yesterday?

Does it have a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities?

@SunsetSenora

I am afraid that being able to self identify as disabled just lays it open to abuse. If you have a disability, even if it is mental health or hidden, you should be able to get someone in a professional capacity to agree with you. That has to be done thoughtfully and kindly of course, but what is to stop me identifying as disabled because I have a cold? Or hurt my ankle yesterday?

Believe me, people with disabilities, especially hidden ones face so much discrimination you wouldn’t want to make one up.

My daughter is currently debating whether it would be advisable to hide her condition when applying for work.

Believe me, people with disabilities, especially hidden ones face so much discrimination you wouldn’t want to make one up.

I don't doubt that some people choose not to disclose for these reasons. However it doesn't mean that someone wouldn't also make it up if it advantages them in some way.

I think there’s an element of degree. Saying you like routine and find social interaction difficult doesn’t mean you are autistic and personally I think if you can’t demonstrate that you are impaired to a degree that you would “achieve” diagnosis, you absolutely shouldn’t be stating you have that condition.

personally I think if you can’t demonstrate that you are impaired to a degree that you would “achieve” diagnosis, you absolutely shouldn’t be stating you have that condition.

Absolutely this.

The legal definition of 'Disability' is a physical or a mental condition which has a substantial and long-term impact on your ability to do normal day to day activities.

personally I think if you can’t demonstrate that you are impaired to a degree that you would “achieve” diagnosis, you absolutely shouldn’t be stating you have that condition.

Or autistic people are socially conditioned and controlled into masking, especially young women? Let alone add on top incorrect expectations surrounding autism (e.g. you have to present like a man / non-femininely being one). Add on top of that a massive waiting list and an underfunded system, it's easy to see how autistic people, especially those who would already struggle with the diagnostic process, would slip through the cracks.

That was part of my sons problem with being diagnosed. He presented more like a female with autism would be expected to.

Its often getting a referral in the first place that’s difficult. Initial assessments are based on a tick box excercise. Numerous professionals have since said my kids autism is so obvious.

But they were not able to be referred and I had to get private reports to begin with.

And actually it’s not. Really about finding social interaction difficult I Mis worded that. (autistic people often enjoy socialising although it can be exhausting and cause overload). It’s about not being able to read social cues and how to interact. Autistic people often tend to talk at you rather than with you, or they mimic what they’ve seen before.

The bs is never-ending

@nether

Agree with *@DahliaMacNamara*

YABU because you seem to have missed quite a lot of the debate which led to the current situation whereby you can indeed identify as disabled or not.

Thus is because the fact of having a 'qualifying' condition does not necessarily mean that your life is impacted to such a level that you see yourself as disabled in any typical usage of the world, and you do not claim any disability benefits to require carers.

There is a difference between the existence of the condition and how one chooses to live with it. You can have DDA qualifying condition and 'identify your way out of it'

It's a difference which might not matter to the able-bodied. But it's incredibly important

Yes; I am disabled (previously self-identified, and now diagnosed).

However my partner has a diagnosed condition that could count as a disability if he chose to identify in that way, but he doesn't, despite the fact that it does have a substantial and long-term negative effect on his daily activities (as per the government's definition of disability).

[But "able-bodied" is inappropriate language.]

If the process is difficult long and hard to access THAT is what should be addressed not just skipping it and going ahead with how you “feel”. (Nb 40% of autistic people are non-verbal so they don’t tend to “talk at you”)

If the process is difficult long and hard to access THAT is what should be addressed not just skipping it and going ahead with how you “feel”.

Yep, it should be addressed. And there are attempts at trying to address it being made, but like anything that is not a quick process so people are making do with what they have. It's easy to sit back and say "oh, just fix this" but dealing with systemic oppression (which is what a lot of these issues are caused by) is often two steps forward, one step back.

As I said @muttbunch just skipping the process isn’t a solution.

As I said @muttbunch just skipping the process isn’t a solution.

Until the diagnostic process changes, it's seemingly the only band-aid solution available.

Only if you live in a universe where saying something makes it true, and dr google is just as good as a real dr.. What on Earth is the point of diagnosis at all if you behave this way??

Only if you live in a universe where saying something makes it true, and dr google is just as good as a real dr.hmm. What on Earth is the point of diagnosis at all if you behave this way??

I've attempted to explain why some people need to self-identify. For example, if you have a long lineage of autistic relatives who behave in the exact same way as you and have similar struggles, it's not a major leap to assume that you too have a (seemingly partially hereditary) condition.

I assume you don't have autism?

@5zeds

If the process is difficult long and hard to access THAT is what should be addressed not just skipping it and going ahead with how you “feel”. (Nb 40% of autistic people are non-verbal so they don’t tend to “talk at you”)

I said upthread I haven’t applied for pip. I had to walk away from getting diagnosis because it was too arduous and I didn’t have the energy. I had to centre what little energy I had in taking care of my child, conserving it so I would not collapse (most of the time) when taking her to school, trying to make her dinner.

Your comments may come from what you consider a justified place. But they actually come from a massively privileged place, where you cannot imagine a reason as to why someone cannot follow the process to fight for a diagnosis.