Don’t let society disable you!

I am an honours student with Bipolar Disorder II (BDII). An invisible disability. I want to share my lived experience as a student with a disability (SWD) at Rhodes University. Let’s begin with defining some of those stigmatised terms.

BDII is a brain disorder that affects a person’s moods severely and, as such, their everyday life. It is defined by cycles of depression with symptoms lasting a fortnight or longer, and then hypomanic episodes lasting at least one week. My episodes are fuelled by debilitating anxiety.

Disability is more of an evolving concept than a strictly defined term.

In the South African White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities published in 2016, disability is that which society imposes on a person with a physical, psychosocial, intellectual, neurological and/or sensory impairment by denying such a person access to full participation in all aspects of life.

There are three interrelated barri- ers experienced by a person with an impairment: social (high cost, and lack of disability awareness), psychological (fear of being ostracised), and structural (limited infrastructure).

An invisible disability is one which cannot be seen.

I was first diagnosed with BDII when I was 15 years old. I was fortunate enough to get the psychotherapy, medication, and time to accept my diagnosis before coming to university. My experience as a university SWD has been far more liberating than in high school.

I remember my application form and filling in my ‘disability’.

Would it affect my chances of getting accepted into the university?

The former fear was put to rest when I was accepted, but there was no follow-up to assist me with approaching lecturers about my BDII.

I am an outgoing introvert (yes, introvert) and I’m not afraid to ask for help when necessary so I was relatively comfortable approaching lecturers when I was stuck in downward spirals.

Although there is an open-door policy with the departments, not everyone else is like me - it can be a very daunting task approaching lecturers about such personal matters, especially an invisible disability. I wish that there was a structure in place to provide a safe space for SWDs to have the opportunity at the beginning of each course to speak to their lecturers about their impairment, what can be done to assist them, and what to do in times of distress.

My first and second years were spent in a residence up ‘The Hill” where I had a wonderful warden who checked up on me and helped me.

Many of my personal encounters with lecturers and other staff members were filled with empathy, but when I was hospitalised at the end of my second year (2015) there were a few obstacles.

I didn’t know about the university’s policy protocol for students with disabilities until the end of last year.

Had I been aware of the policy in February 2014 (my first year), maybe some things would have gone more smoothly.

I know that the university does have some basic services available and I can’t speak for students with other impairments but I know that more can be done in terms of reasonable accommodation. The current reasonable accommodation and basic services provided are relatively limited… In my mind, at least.

Sometimes, even my closest friends would not be able to comprehend just how debilitating my anxiety is and say I used it as an excuse to get out of things.

Don’t invalidate someone else’s lived experience because it inconveniences you.

It is society who creates ‘disabilities’ by discriminating and excluding. Having an impairment doesn’t make you less capable or inferior to any neurotypical or able-bodied human. The infrastructure and organisation may not be in place but don’t let those snide comments or long side glances disable you further.

We are not imposing on others when we ask for help and ask for basic services that we need in order to survive in this fast-paced world. We will get universally accessible infrastructure. We will raise awareness. We will have readily available and known resources.

My name is Rachel Ibbetson and I have Bipolar Disorder II. I say, “I have bipolar” because I refuse to be defined and limited by my ‘impairment’. I have it. I live with it. I thrive with it.

References:

Disabled World. 2015. Disabled World: Towards Tomorrow. [Online]. Available: www.disabled-world.com [January 2017]. Dlamini, D. 2016. White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Government Gazette No. 39792. [Online]. Available: www.gpwonline.co.za [January 2017]. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). 2016. NIMH: Bipolar Disorder. [Online]. Available: www.nimh.nih.gov/ health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index. shtml [February 2017].