Massage Therapy Journal Fall 2024

40 • Massage Therapy Journal

AMTA Continuing Education

you can do is be informed about the preferences of a particular group or individual, keep an open mind, make adjustments when necessary and apologize for your mistakes. Another aspect of respectful language is to avoid phrases such as “afflicted with,” “crippled,” “suffers from,” or “victim of.” These are viewed as dehumanizing or sensationalizing the disability, and they portray individuals with disabilities as passive objects in need of pity or charity. Lastly, do not portray successful people with disabilities as heroic overachievers or long suffering saints. Everyone faces challenges in their life. Stella Young, a comedian, journalist and activist, coined the phrase “inspiration porn” to describe this version of stereotyping in her 2014 Ted Talk, “I’m Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much.” Defining Disabilities A disability is an impairment or a medical condition that interferes with the ability to perform a major life activity without some form

of accommodation or assistance. 9 Examples of major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, thinking, communicating and working. Disabilities can be invisible or hidden, so even though they are not seen, they can still hinder the individual. Although people with disabilities are sometimes referred to as a single population, diversity exists in this group. The experience of a disability is influenced by the nature of a person’s disability, context and environment. Age, genetics, gender, mindset, ethnicity and culture can also have a profound influence, and sometimes a compounding effect on an individual’s experience of disability. Two people with the same type of disability may be affected in very different ways. Furthermore, disabilities can be acquired by anyone at any stage of life, and many people will experience being disabled at one point or another.

Although people with disabilities are sometimes referred to as a single population, diversity exists in this group. The experience of a disability

is influenced by the nature of a person’s disability, context and environment.

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