write down few difficulties that a mentally challenge person may have to face?
Answers
There are a couple problems that many disabled people have to deal with in addition to their natural disabilities. I am blind, but know people with a wide range of disabilities, so I’ll pick one I know effects pretty much everyone.
Ignorance. I don’t say this to attack society; merely as an observation. People in general don’t have a clue how to act around us or towards us. This isn’t their fault, for the most part, as where would they gain any knowledge to draw from. As understandable as it is, though, it can still be quite frustrating.
I’ll give you two example. They aren’t the only ones, nor even the most recent, but they’re the starkest examples I have.
There’s a study group I meet with once a week. I’ve been going for 3 years. There’s a girl who’s been coming for 2 years. As a group, we had a little get-together (dinner etc.) and, towards the end and in private, I asked this girl out. Her response was a polite decline, which is fine, but the part of this story that is the example is the way she declined. I would think I might have imagined it if it weren’t common. It’s hard to describe, but everything in her baring was surprised. She clearly hadn’t even considered the possibility. As I said, it would mean nothing as an isolated incident, but it happens with some frequency; people seeing me as a BLIND guy, rather than a blind GUY. A lot of people clearly don’t see me and think “potential friend” and a lot of people who need help and go to other people for help will never come to me for assistance (even if I offer). Obviously I don’t expect them to instantly be comfortable with me or guess what I’m capable of, but it can get frustrating when people never get over that first impression and realize that, yes, I’m blind, but I’m still a guy.
The second example was a bit frustrating, but also made me laugh. It really shows the Western society’s inability to engage due to the political correctness that’s rampant here.
I was talking with a former professor with whom I still have a pretty good relationship. While I was in her class, we worked fairly closely together at times due to my visual impairment. She told me that, while I was in her class, a couple of my classmates approached her and asked if she thought I would be interested in going for a hike at a nearby mountain. My professor was flabbergasted. “How should I know? Ask him.” Keep in mind, this wasn’t kids being awkward in high school; this was at a DOCTORATE level. 23–35 year old people still don’t know how to approach me. Again, thanks to all the PC BS going around, it’s unsurprising and somewhat understandable, but that doesn’t stop it from being frustrating.
I have plenty more stories like this and know plenty of people with similar stories. It took me a while to recognize what was happening, because, as an isolated incident, any of these would mean nothing. When you put everything together, though, it’s a pattern. People’s first impression is to notice the disability and make assumptions based on that. This is fair enough, I think. The problem that many physically disabled people face, however, is that this is a subtle issue and, even if we finally recognize it, it’s very hard to overcome that first impression.
That’s just how it is. Personally, I’m working on breaking that first impression quickly and efficiently. Fair or not, it’s on me to correct people’s first impressions if I want them to know better.
Feel free to ask anything else or throw in suggestions on ways to break that fist impression.