I have been exploring the idea of how sharing stories of compassion can change the narrative about disabled people. This is important because there is so much negativity, which has eroded many disabled people’s self-compassion and has led to the loss of opportunities in employment and much more.
According to Scope, one in three disabled people experience discrimination every single day and at worst, hate crime. I believe that by telling compassionate stories we can break down misconceptions and incorrect assumptions about people. Every one of us is unique and has something to offer.
I was excited by a new report Changing attitudes towards disability: What works released by Scope, a large national organisation which campaigns on equality and fairness for disabled people, and the Behavioural Insight Team, one of the world’s leading behavioural science organisations, working around the globe to improve people’s lives.
They explored the effectiveness of different campaigns and how different kinds of statement (humorous, factual, statistical, positive representation, perspective taking, finding things in common) can change negative attitudes towards disabled people. One of the most effective ways of changing attitudes was perspective taking because it included stories with a name and helped build connection.
Historically, and even now, most stories about disabled people are negative, evoking pity or annoyance. We need to counteract this negativity with compassionate stories.
On this theme, I will share a personal story to show how compassion can change lives.
Impact of Receiving Compassion:
When I was 16 years old, I had lost my self belief in my academic abilities because I had failed some of my exams badly with marks as low as U, which is worse than F. Yet despite this, my parents put me in another school where I was to do the International Baccalaureate (IB), which is a tough programme.
In this new school I was supported by a compassionate special needs teacher, who was able to identify the barriers to my writing skills. From her understanding she then planned to overcome these barriers in a creative way. She introduced me to a computer, something of a rarity then. She used the computer to provide me with a very visual way of finding new information. She showed me how quickly I could correct work when I had left out words or I had misheard or misunderstood. It worked.
The outcome was that I successfully completed my International Baccalaureate, opening up choices that might not have been available otherwise. This was a great start for my young adult life. Which led to choices of universities and employment.
Choices are significant. My teacher’s compassion had another lasting impact: it made me want to help others to have choices by taking time to get to know them and the things that mattered to them. In other words, through understanding and compassion.
Further stories on compassion transforming lives:
I have other stories of compassion which have changed lives. Including one on the power of sharing stories with staff in a care home which motivated them to become more compassionate with the residents and their families. The change of attitudes and behaviour made the home a more dynamic place for people to live and work.
Booking for talks:
If you want to book me as a guest speaker please get in touch. We have the power collectively to change the narrative of, and for, disabled people. Compassionate stories show that meaningful choices, employment opportunities, and motivation to increase access in venues can be made possible for all customers, whatever their disability.
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