Exercise: Myths and stereotypes

One of the greatest sources of discrimination against persons with disabilities can be attitudes, and in particular the assumptions that people make about us. These assumptions may take the form of myths (for example, “You must not touch or talk to a person with a disability, or you might catch their disability!”) and stereotypes (for example, “Persons with disabilities are all lazy.”). Some of these myths and stereotypes may be the same across different cultures, and others may be specific to a particular culture or society. Many people are raised from an early age to believe that these myths and stereotypes are true. When conducting advocacy, it is therefore a good idea to think about the myths and stereotypes that people in your community may have about persons with disabilities. In order to be effective in your advocacy, you may have to find ways to show people that the assumptions they have been raised to make about persons with disabilities are not true. First though, you need to think what those myths and stereotypes are, and consider how they can negatively impact the enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities.

• Think about the disability myths and stereotypes that people in your community may have – write them down to make a list and be as specific as you can.
• Now make a list of what you would prefer people to think when they meet or think about persons with disabilities.