At Jesuit Social Services we quickly realise the danger of labels. When we label people, we assume that they are all the same. That can be a risk in World Days, which often gather very different people together under the one flag. The International Day of People with Disability, for example, includes people whose disability affects hearing, sight, balance, mobility, mental health and many other qualities of life. They are not identical representatives of a standardised group.
If we group people together in groups, we risk focusing on their difference from ourselves, define them by that difference and not by what we share, and then avoid them out of embarrassment or fear. They carry a stigma attached to them which makes it difficult for them to speak about their own condition and for us to ask them about it. We may also then imagine that we know their needs and so design programs for them that are useless or even harmful for many people.
If we wish to see persons as persons and not as a category, we need to see them from inside. That demands taking the same kind of interest in them that we would take in any other of our acquaintances. It also involves wondering how they see and live their lives. If we do ask them, we shall often find that some will see their condition as a nuisance, others as a blessing, others as a challenge and some as a cause. They may also tell us ways in which we might assist them.
As we come to know more people with different kinds of disadvantage, we also notice that many find similar obstacles to living a full life. These often have to do with institutional buildings and structures that prevent them from leading full lives. Multi-story schools and offices without lifts, churches with ramps and rails make access to people who are unable to walk freely, for example. To recognise and meet these needs we need them to lead and guide us in our advocacy for them.
Advocacy is an important part of our work at Jesuit Social Services. It is based on good relationships that always begin with asking questions.
