The Professional Counselor | Volume 14, Issue 1 73 Helplessness Helplessness microaggressions are those in which PWD are “treated as if they are incapable, useless, dependent, or broken, and imply they are unable to perform any activity without assistance” (Conover et al., 2017a, p. 581). Sixteen participants (17.77%) described Helplessness microaggressions. For P174, the most common Helplessness microaggression they experience is when “people speak to the person I am with instead of to me. Drives me crazy! Worse is when the person I’m with answers for me.” P126 corroborated the “devastating” nature of when “people make decisions for you.” P129 shared that, “As a person with an invisible disability, I most often encounter microaggressions in the form of unsolicited advice when I disclose my disability.” Similarly, P134 noted: Although my disability is not apparent, if people know about it, they often just act on my behalf without asking me for input or feedback. That is very frustrating and often does not change even if I bring it up to the individual who does it. This final quote from P134 is powerful because it, like P174’s experience, demonstrates how people without disabilities participate in perpetuating ableism even when they were not the ones who initiated it. Category 2: Unique Findings Independent of the AMS Subscales As we indicated earlier, we separated data that did not fit into AMS codes and coded them using in vivo codes. This analysis resulted in six novel themes (i.e., Fortitude/Resilience/Coping, Contextual Factors, Impact of Microaggressions/Ableism on Mental Health/Wellness, Microaggression Experiences Are Different Depending on Visibility of Disability, Internalized Ableism, and Microaggressions Include Identities Other Than Disability) that are independent from the AMS-driven themes discussed in the prior section, yet are interrelated because they add unique insights and helpful context for understanding ableist microaggressions within the lived experiences of PWD. Fortitude/Resilience/Coping We defined Fortitude/Resilience/Coping as ways in which participants have developed strength, dealt with adversity/microaggressions, and persevered despite their microaggressive experiences. Thirty percent (n = 27) of participants disclosed a wide range of attitudinal and experiential tactics related to this theme. P103 shared, “I maintain what I call a healthy sense of humor about my own body and being disabled,” while P145 demonstrated a sense of humor as they shared how they cope: I just have to remind them and myself that my brain works differently and that I am just as competent as anyone else. I have learned not to beat myself up when I forget something or can’t get my paperwork done correctly for the tenth time. (I really hate paperwork.) Participants 138 and 127 both spoke directly to the role knowledge plays. P138 shared: I want to put out there that knowledge & understanding are power. Knowing & understanding your rights as a person with a disability as well as knowing & understanding your unique experience with your own disability (to the best of your ability) is key to making forward strides in environments that can often times feel ableist.
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