Abstract
This paper explores the tension between the perceptions of the perfect ‘wished for body’ and impaired ‘real body’ in disabled people. The working hypothesis is that impairment represents a threat to our existence; it acts as a reminder of the fragility and vulnerability of the body. Three types of defence against the anxiety triggered by this threat are considered in the paper: rejection of the impaired person through segregation or annihilation by the family/community; denial of the impairment by both the impaired person and the environment; and temporariness, perceiving the impairment as a transitional phase, thus allowing for the belief that it will disappear. The experience of sight loss will be used to illustrate these defences.