Barrier-Free World
This section includes information about people with mental health conditions that affect
there capacity to think, reason, and communicate. It also includes people who have
learning disabilities but otherwise have normal intellect levels. And, it includes some
people who live with internal desires that occasionally break out from within the
individual and may be hard for others to understand and even tolerate.
In many ways, it is the person with an “invisible” disability, the person with a neurological
disorder that is most discriminated in today’s society. We have embraced the need to
make doorways wider, and include ramps to allow a person using a mobility device to
access our buildings, but the individual who thinks differently or who is unable to clearly
speak on their own behalf, that there is the greatest level of discrimination. In this case
the barriers are not physical, but the emotional and attitudinal barriers are none-the-less
inhibiting.
There are many unknowns when dealing with a person who has a psychiatric or
neurological disorder.
All people deserve respect regardless of their physical or mental capacity.
The challenge to a person who is unfamiliar with people with disabilities is to not panic.
Remain calm and handle the situation as the circumstance requires. If the person
becomes violent, or tries to harm him or herself, then call for outside, professional
assistance.
Do not confuse the inability to communicate clearly with a psychiatric condition. A
person who has Cerebral Palsy may be difficult to understand, or someone who is going
into a diabetic comma may appear incoherent, but these should not be misconstrued as
a psychiatric disorder. Asking the person how you can provide assistance will be the
main deciding factor in how you respond or react.
Here are a few categories of disabilities that affect a persons mind or the ability to
perform daily functions:
Note: experts do not seem to agree on classifications for conditions that affect "matters
of the mind". Some conditions are classified differently depending on the source; or a
person may experience more than one type of psychiatric, neurological or emotional
condition; or, they may exhibit components of all three. Therefore, like all other
disabilities, react to the circumstance and the individual and not the diagnosis or its
classification.
there capacity to think, reason, and communicate. It also includes people who have
learning disabilities but otherwise have normal intellect levels. And, it includes some
people who live with internal desires that occasionally break out from within the
individual and may be hard for others to understand and even tolerate.
In many ways, it is the person with an “invisible” disability, the person with a neurological
disorder that is most discriminated in today’s society. We have embraced the need to
make doorways wider, and include ramps to allow a person using a mobility device to
access our buildings, but the individual who thinks differently or who is unable to clearly
speak on their own behalf, that there is the greatest level of discrimination. In this case
the barriers are not physical, but the emotional and attitudinal barriers are none-the-less
inhibiting.
There are many unknowns when dealing with a person who has a psychiatric or
neurological disorder.
All people deserve respect regardless of their physical or mental capacity.
The challenge to a person who is unfamiliar with people with disabilities is to not panic.
Remain calm and handle the situation as the circumstance requires. If the person
becomes violent, or tries to harm him or herself, then call for outside, professional
assistance.
Do not confuse the inability to communicate clearly with a psychiatric condition. A
person who has Cerebral Palsy may be difficult to understand, or someone who is going
into a diabetic comma may appear incoherent, but these should not be misconstrued as
a psychiatric disorder. Asking the person how you can provide assistance will be the
main deciding factor in how you respond or react.
Here are a few categories of disabilities that affect a persons mind or the ability to
perform daily functions:
Note: experts do not seem to agree on classifications for conditions that affect "matters
of the mind". Some conditions are classified differently depending on the source; or a
person may experience more than one type of psychiatric, neurological or emotional
condition; or, they may exhibit components of all three. Therefore, like all other
disabilities, react to the circumstance and the individual and not the diagnosis or its
classification.
| Mental Health |
| We are continuously updating this site. If you have suggestions or questions please email us at info@sterlingfrazer.com |
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