To be or not to be disabled: The perception of disability as eternal transition

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.

Keywords:

• Impairment
• disability
• denial
• transitional phase
• sight loss