Do you consider yourself disabled?

Post Reply New Topic

I put other because for me it really depends on the kind of day I'm having....

I consider myself disabled and I definitely meet the criteria for disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 (the UK equivalent of the ADA) which is ‘a
physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. There is a 43 page document which has more details and examples relating to several conditions including autism and AS. I can't cook a meal for myself without supervision, my ability to go out on my own is very limited and I can't process information in such a way that means many forms of employment would be impossible for me. I am preparing in the next few months to become self-employed in a way that gives me flexibility and control over my environment that I both need and would not be able to get from working outside my home, because otherwise I would not be able to work at all.

I don't find the term 'differently abled' to be relevant to me, it sounds rather clunky and doesn't really explain anything. I consider myself a disabled person rather than a person with a disability as the conditions which cause my disability are not things which can be cured or which could be taken away without substantially changing my identity. As my bipolar disorder was severe and untreated for several years it was only once that was sufficiently under control that the difficulties specific to AS became clear (which led to me receiving a formal diagnosis), which are significant enough to impact on my daily activities but not life-threatening in the same way as a serious mood episode can be. The side-effects of my medication also cause some impairments but without medication I cannot function at all and would be putting myself in serious danger.

I am legally disabled, but not from AS though. lol

I do have issued due to AS but I'd say they're just barely bad enough to be considered a disability.

I see myself as differently abled. I'm able to do things, but those aren't the types of abilities that will get me into the corporate world. I'm a self taught drummer and I was a very good artist when I was younger. I also live independently as well.

What do people think of terms like 'disabled person' vs 'person with a disability' vs 'differently-abled'?

Well I don't have AS but ADHD and that I find is slowly coming under control. I have decided not to do anything extreme to put myself in depression. It depends on my mood swings. When depressed I can be really low and low functioning. When I am on a bipolar high its the opposite I get a lot of work done in no time.

I kinda have to be to have AS (objectively), but I also see myself disabled in the ways outlined by the ASD too.

I see myself as differently-abled as well. I'm on the mild end of the spectrum and I've been forced to be around people long enough that I function well enough to get by, for the most part. This probably stems from the fact that I see AS as being a source of diversity and as something of a gift because I'm able to do things that many other people aren't capable of in the same amount of time. However, once again, this is probably because I'm on the lighter end of the spectrum and don't seem to have as many negative traits as some of the other posters here, or those I do have don't seem as extreme.

I guess I see myself as disabled due to difficulties caused by AS, Depression, Anxiety and PTSD......but then I don't seem to have anything to make up for any of that. I can't even teach myself to play bass

No, I consider my differently-abled. However, I do admit to challenges in my life. But, everyone has challenges. Autism has given me gifts and talents that I embrace.

No. I do not consider myself disabled. Socially impaired yes. Disabled no.

Yes. But I don't see disability as a negative thing. It's a neutral fact, that's all.

Yep, I'm disabled. This wasn't at all hard to accept, and I don't see why people treat it like its hard to accept. I'm not worse because I'm disabled, I'm just disabled. I'm just me.

To me "disabled" doesn't have an innate negative emotion associated like it does for some people.


As for "disabled person" vs "person with a disability", I don't care much. If people actively are using one to look down on me, I'll tend to prefer the other in that situation, but not strongly. If someone is using person-first language because they think a disability makes me lesser, and we need to focus on the fact that am a person first, then I want to get the point across that no I don't need person first language, because of course I'm a person, just like a female is a person and a mother is a person and an American is a person. It's not negative that I'm disabled.


For "differently-abled". I don't like that term. It feels awkward and strange to use. It feels like its making all the wrong points.

Everyone is different. Everyone has different abilities. We shouldn't expect any two people to have the same abilities, whether they're NT or autistic.
What matters with the disability, is that some of our abilities /don't fit in society/. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, but the things that a disabled person can't do are expected by society and cause problems at a different level than the level of everyone just being different - not everyone can run or carry 30 boxes. This causes problems at times, yet its not a disability because that's not needed by society, yet its still just as "differently-abled" with how people talk about that word.

It makes me feel like people want to use the social model of disability and deny it at the same time. It doesn't make sense. Either you're disabled or not, of course you're differently-abled, everyone is.

Disabled; because I am unable to function up to my abilities. For example, I am intelligent and hard working, but because of communication difficulties and co-morbid anxiety I cannot work full time.

I know that legally I am disabled but I don't really consider myself disabled.

This is because I can earn a living in my own business, exercise regularly and rigorously, have all my limbs and all 5 senses.

The social impairment that qualifies me as legally disabled is largely irrelevant as I don't socialize, outside of my family and I don't 'value' socializing enough to feel I am missing anything.

While I can function very well independently, it's always a struggle staying focused and keeping my anxiety manageable. I'm always self monitoring because of past "shut downs", and I'm always worried about dropping the ball and forgetting something important that needs to be done.