In last weeks class, we got the opportunity to have a guest speaker that works in the field as a DSW. She works with disabled individuals and she talked to us about many different topics and also got us to interact with one another for an activity that deals with stigmatism. We learned about labelling and what kind of vocabulary to use when it comes to talking to a disabled person as well as how to explain them. She told us that it is not proper to call a person a midget or a dwarf and that it is better to recognize them as a person with short statue. Some of us already had an idea of what to say and what not to say when it comes to mentioning a disabled person. Sometimes we have to remember that the person is not the disability but that they have a disability. When someone is diagnosed with a mental health disorder or disability, it is not who they are, it is just a part of their life and what they may be dealing with.
Colleen told us that it is important to treat people who may have a disability like they are humans. She talked about how it may be easier said than done and that it is easy to forget sometimes. It is natural for us to feel some kind of empathy or sadness towards a person who may be disabled and it is important to treat them just like you would treat anyone else. It is also important to respect the childs parents and their families decisions for anything because they are the main surrounding in this persons life.
I think that this guest speaker was very valuable to the class because she reminded us how important it is to treat these children like they are any other and how much they may struggle with stigma. These people may need a little more support than others but it doesn`t mean that they are any different in how they should be treated. I think it would be very important to be as positive and energetic as possible when working with a disabled person because they deserve to have as much inspiration and joy as possible.
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