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Re: Elderly and self identification as having a disability

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From: Gillen, Lori
Date: May 25, 2016 8:55AM

Thank you for writing this article, Thad, and sharing it with us. I always find it brave when people who suffers from some type of mental affliction has the courage to stand up and tell their story. As for me, I have been very open about self-identifying as someone with hearing loss, but not so much about self-identifying as someone with anxiety and depression. It's a real shame, because these illnesses are still stigmatized and people are afraid that self-identifying is going to be used against them.

I applaud your ability to work in an area where you are so passionate. For me, I would love to become an accessibility professional (yes, I am taking that webinar tomorrow), as I am very passionate about it, but when I read posts from people currently working in this area, in this forum (for example), I feel that sense of confusion, uncertainty, and lack of control that you talk about in your article for new users. I wonder if we can apply some of Thad's suggestions here as a start.

Lori Gillen
McKesson Corporation

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Thad C
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2016 8:39 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Elderly and self identification as having a disability

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.

http://cp.mcafee.com/d/k-Kr3xASyMUMyNtdNASrhhjhupjvvhdEEFELcFKcECPpISHoHZalxOVJ_mr2JAbeyG7FW_XX0GeKywaI3HFyFEVd7bb8HW3zbxEVRRyXy1ISrdCOsVHkiP5qEuupBVyPpYSU_O-bi-TQN3Wi8MB0yn8vevNb-7Hv6nMJZ2XJoBRLGIvVtTriwhbX0fBYONI4AZgd40Aq83hVa5zSWic_cDa1mk28a8yvbCzUSyUPtUS2_id41Fr0nO0w6zpFtd40QuxYjONEwS21EwFVXFEwAxY9OtBrpOH0QgrgQg4ZcOwhd46Cy12ld8ifBcIrs76QPrNKVJUSyrh
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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