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Re: Elderly and self identification as having a disability

for

From: Thad C
Date: May 25, 2016 7:57AM

Thank you very much Jon. Really admire all the work you have done in this
space.
On May 25, 2016 6:55 AM, "Jonathan Avila" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
wrote:

> Great article Thad. This gets at many aspects of true accessibility that
> we typically don't discuss.
>
> Jon
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On May 24, 2016, at 9:37 PM, Thad C < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> >
> > Hi Lori,
> >
> > It is interesting that you bring up self identification today. I just had
> > the follow piece published. It was one of the most satisfying projects I
> > have worked on.
> >
> >
> https://modelviewculture.com/pieces/designing-better-experiences-for-people-facing-anxiety
> >> On May 24, 2016 8:01 AM, "Gillen, Lori" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi Jim-
> >>
> >> I'm not sure this is relevant but it is my hope that people in my
> company
> >> self-identify as having a disability so that they can reach out for the
> >> help they need to do their job to their optimum capacity. I think that I
> >> may be planting some seeds, but for the most part those with invisible
> >> disabilities, such as depression and other mental illnesses still have a
> >> stigma. Perhaps that is what is going on with the elderly. They came
> from a
> >> time when no one talks about those subjects, or maybe they are in denial
> >> about getting old and the disabilities that come with it.
> >>
> >> Lori Gillen
> >> Specialist Technical Writer
> >> McKesson Corporation
> >> Newton, MA
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On
> >> Behalf Of Jim Allan
> >> Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2016 10:32 AM
> >> To: WAI-IG; WebAIM Discussion List
> >> Subject: [WebAIM] Elderly and self identification as having a disability
> >>
> >> Hello,
> >> I have used, written, and repeated what I thought was a truism, but I
> >> don't recall when I first heard this ...
> >>
> >> Some/many elderly (aged) folks do not self identify as having a
> >> disability, they respond that they are just old and things don't work as
> >> well as they used to.
> >>
> >> Based on conversations with elderly relatives and others (aged and
> people
> >> in the disability field)...I found this to be true. Perhaps it was the
> way
> >> the question was asked.
> >>
> >> Be that as it may, I was trying to verify/research this truism. When I
> >> searched on "self identification" and other terms -- of course I found
> >> forms to self-identify, demographics, services, etc. all about folks who
> >> have self-identified.
> >>
> >> What I could not find is anything that verifies that elderly do not self
> >> identify because in their view they are not disabled, they are just old.
> >> There may other subsets of folks who would/could be considered disabled
> >> but for whatever reason choose not to self-identify.
> >>
> >> Do you have any insight/ideas...anything?
> >>
> >> --
> >> Jim Allan, Accessibility Coordinator
> >> Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
> >> 1100 W. 45th St., Austin, Texas 78756
> >> voice 512.206.9315 fax: 512.206.9264
> >>
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> >> "We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us." McLuhan, 1964
> >> > >> > >>
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