"I'm grateful that I'm in a position of really loving myself and appreciating that my body works, that I'm not in pain, that my hair grew back", says Ricki Lake on the 97th episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. Ms. Lake was speaking of her hair loss struggles, so there was no reason for the interview to include a hierarchy of impairments. The ranking of impairments according to which are worse is concerning.
Looking at the opposite of what Ms. Lake appreciates, does this mean bodies that are in pain and do not work are not to be appreciated? That stance does not pair well with disability pride or with the value one has when appreciating their pain and function challenges.
An injustice occurs when impairments are ranked, when others make statements such as Ms. Lake's, and when these comments are received without question. I imagined viewers nodding in agreement that no pain and functional ability were the goals. The injustice, then, falls on those of us who live with chronic pain and functional limitations. We are once again reminded that our quality of life is considered less-than by those who are more able-bodied.
We may doubt that we should appreciate a painful, limited body, and these doubts devalue our existence. This personal injustice may lead to us trying to pass as one without pain or limits, which can increase pain and loss of function. For example, as someone with fibromyalgia, if I act as if I do not have pain or mobility limits, I spend the next week recovering and in more pain from my pretending. I do my mental and physical self an injustice trying to be someone I am not.
The desire to pass increases the more others rank impairments according to a preconceived idea that some impairments decrease quality of life more than others. People with disabilities can speak out against this hierarchy and support each other without trying to one-up another's impairment.
This includes defending non-apparent disabilities to those who are in disbelief of the existence or extent of them. For instance, I spent twenty minutes discussing fibromyalgia with a friend who was trying to figure out if their sister’s symptoms were real or as painful as she says. While we need to support each other, I should never have been put into a position of affirming anyone else’s chronic pain experience.
We are validated when our descriptions of our experiences are heard and not doubted especially by those we love. Invalidation or seeking affirmation from someone other than the one with the non-apparent disability leads to more personal injustice. I imagine my friend’s sister questioning her body experience. The reality of her experience is being contested by someone who has known her all her life. If those closest to us are unable to accept our reality, we doubt ourselves. Moreover, those a step or two away such as friends, co-workers, and classmates will remain skeptical of our bodily experience and we continually must explain our reality.
Further injustice occurs if we decide to remain silent instead of speak-up. If we allow able-bodied to rank impairments according to stereotypes, or allow able-bodied to doubt our realities, injustice perpetuates.
Lisa M. Wolfe-Gawel is a philosophy master’s student, mother of two, avid hula-hooper, and enjoys life with two non-apparent disabilities. She is the author of six fitness books, two fiction novels and one children’s book. When she is not working, studying, or hooping, Lisa spends time with her family and her pets. Lisa can be reached through her website.
*Audio Narration Coming Soon