Ignorance
My second blog this week focuses on something which I'm very passionate about talking about which is ignorance, it's not a very nice topic but it's something which needs to be talked about. I know so many people close to me have experienced it over a whole range of reasons and I know how upsetting it has been for them. The world around us is such a diverse, different world, no two of us are the same and just because someone is seen as different by society it isn't an excuse for ignorance.
I especially wanted to focus this blog on issues surrounding ignorance in invisible differences, neurodiversity and disability. So many people encounter ignorance on a day to day basis, whether it be in school, university, the workplace, in day to day life. I always think it isn't anyone's business what someone else is doing with their lives, it can be such a struggle sometimes as it is without the need for ignorance. It can domino effect and have such a devastating impact on self esteem, confidence and mental wellbeing.
One of the most frustrating ignorances is when people assume that if your brain thinks in a different way then they must be "stupid" or "thick" and they can say whatever they like as if the person will fail to understand what is going on. Which is simply ridiculous as so many people are so clever and have such a creative way of thinking, it's just a different way of wiring.
Most importantly though there is a person behind any labels, someone with feelings, someone who probably doesn't feel amazing about themselves as it is.
I recently came across this article in The Telegraph which highlights some of the 'hidden' social and emotional difficulties experienced by teenagers with dyspraxia who don't quite fit in with their peers
"At home, in the security of her own family, this kid is delightfully charming, funny, clever and good-hearted â€" but, among her peers, she has always been a misfit. Diagnosed in early childhood as slightly dyspraxic, she can be physically clumsy and socially awkward. Her dyspraxia makes her hopeless at ball games and team games but, more importantly, it makes her an outsider."