Physical Disability vs Mental Disability #Amilikey

 

Greetings all beloved few blog viewers!! I am going to talk about a topic I am familiar with first hand and what the overall outsider view is nowadays. I have a little brother who has born premature and with that suffered from a lot of medical conditions. They were not discovered all at once, as he grew older we learned that his disability was not only physical but mental as well. Given the dynamic of having both types of disabilities to different degrees, taking care of him hasn't been easy but rather challenging. I love him dearly and wish I could support him in so many other ways and give him opportunities he needs -- unfortunately that time hasn't yet come. 

    At first glance, no one would suspect he is disabled because thankfully he has full range of motion and his disability isn't automatically visible from just the appearance. When he talks, then you can see his first inability to express himself clearly or properly as he his hard of hearing. Apart from that, his mental disability as a mild intellectual disability limits his communication/social skills. He is currently in his 20s but his maturity has never surpassed the age of 4 or 5 years old. He mainly likes to talk about animals and toys. I have tried my best to share with him special outings and I do my best to keep him happy with the things he enjoys doing like browsing for books/movies. I always take him out to eat too, because who doesn't like eating out. Major Lol. 

    In todays society, disabled people are seen as a burden on society and they face so much discrimination -- it hurts me to observe this sentiment towards my own brother. Ironically, people assume it's me that is disabled but they get it wrong each and every time. I advocate for my brother all the time and I am there for all his treatments and current assistance for employment. I obviously understand him very well and even sometimes have to decipher what he is trying to tell me. It takes me a minute but eventually I understand what he is referring to. He also has behavioral issues out of the same frustration his life hasn't been easy for him to be a disabled person with both physical and mental disabilities. 

    I sincerely wish more people would give disabled people more credit for their situation in the sense of having true empathy and not pity. They should be more willingly to integrate them into every day activities and always make real accommodations that are suitable for them to be able to participate in activities without feeling left out. A simple example, there should be a greater emphasis in creating programs that allow disabled people to volunteer and gain some work-related experience. They should creative the equivalence of every day social activity but for the disabled people, like creating 5k walks that target them specifically. Host events that make them feel included and not ignore them for the lack of skills they have. 

    If people could really know how hard it is for them to live a life with these disabilities they wouldn't alienate them from society. I am not saying there aren't any group of people advocating for them or working with them-- but it is in small quantity and that is what has to change. Both disabilities are equally debilitating; however, it is the mental disability that is even more straining and difficult to manage as a caregiver and as the individual itself. So, appreciate your mental well-being in terms of being able to speak properly and think according to your age, because people like my brother don't have that privilege of truly standing on his own. 

    Anyways it's my favorite part moment.  “You are not a mistake, because God is perfect and He cannot make mistakes.” You are here for a reason and a purpose, so let Jesus show you the way. Thank you for your support and remember to view my YouTube videos using the best hashtag #️⃣ amilikey

Xoxoxoxo, 

Ana :)