Five Things Non-Disabled People Didn’t Realize Were Privileges

When you are disabled, there are a lot of things that your disability will prevent you from being able to do well that come easily to non-disabled people. Non-disabled people sometimes do not realize how good they have it and complain about little things, such as having to go to the gym, that are impossible with a disability that we wish we could do. People often have valid complaints, but sometimes it can be frustrating when people act like the world is going to end because they only had time to go to the gym three days this week instead of five. Disabled people would love to be able to do the laundry independently but sometimes we depend on others to do it for us because it’s too hard to do yourself and your disability limits our ability to do that task. You never realize how many boring tasks you do in a day that you complain about that you didn’t realize are privileges until you’re not able to do it anymore. In this post, I am going to talk about five things that non-disabled people sometimes take for granted that you don’t realize are privileges.

Going to the gym- Exercise is important for your health because it strengthens your muscles and lessens the likelihood of certain illnesses, and you should exercise if you are able, but going to the gym is a privilege that not all disabled people have. I am glad that I have been given the privilege to be able to exercise because it makes it easier to prevent constipation, and I don’t struggle with body confidence as much as someone who is not able to exercise. When you have a physical disability, exercise is not the same experience because fitness is not accessible, and my disability prevents me from being able to do a lot of exercises that I used to love to do. I can never exercise without thinking about my disability, and it can be frustrating for disabled people when a non-disabled person complains about how they had to skip the gym today because I have to skip it a lot due to pain. Some disabled people do not have the ability to exercise and would love to do just five minutes of your routine because it’s so hard to exercise with a disability. Exercise is a privilege that a lot of people take for granted, and you should be glad you have that ability even if you hate every second of it. I always like to say I don’t have to exercise, but I get to exercise because movement is a privilege.

Going to the bathroom without difficulty– Some disabled people are able to go the bathroom in the same way non-disabled people can, but not all disabled people have the ability to pee without difficulty. People often don’t think of going to the bathroom as a privilege, but it is because, for some people, it causes a lot of pain, and you can’t do it easily. I am able to go to the bathroom independently, but since my bladder and bowel muscles don’t work properly, I can never do it easily. It is a privilege to be able to sit on the toilet and have a bowel movement in five minutes or less, and it work every single time because for many disabled people, it takes hours, and there are no guarantees it will be successful. I am glad that I am able to go to the bathroom, but I wish I had the privilege of being able to do it easily because it’s frustrating when you do everything right and still do not have complete control over whether you are able to have a bowel movement or not.

Getting in your car and driving to work- Some disabled people are able to get in their car and drive to work but depending on what disability you have, not all disabled people will be able to drive themselves. People with physical disabilities sometimes are able to drive because you can get your car modified to use hand control, but it’s expensive, and not all disabled people can afford to buy a new car and get it modified. I am glad that I have people in my life who will take me places, but I do not have the privilege of getting in my car and driving to Walmart whenever I want to and rely on other people to take me places. I wish I had the privilege of being able to drive because it’s frustrating when you have to check with your caregiver every time you want to hang out with friends, and sometimes you just want to get up and go without needing someone else’s approval.

Dressing yourself without assistance- If you have a physical disability such as Spina Bifida, a lot of the time you can learn to dress yourself, but not all people with physical disabilities have that ability, and sometimes you may depend on someone else to do it for you. There are some disabilities, such as Muscular Dystrophy, where you don’t have as much strength and will completely depend on someone else to help you get dressed. I am glad that as a child, I went to therapy to learn how to dress myself because it gives me a little more independence and privacy that I would not have if I didn’t have that privilege. Dressing yourself is an important skill to have and a privilege that I am grateful I have because I don’t require assistance 24/7 which will make living on my own one day a lot easier.

Living without pain– I never realized how much of a privilege it was to live without pain until I started experiencing chronic pain and truly understood what pain takes from you. I am grateful that most days my pain does not leave me completely bed-bound, but I don’t have the privilege of living a pain-free life and don’t think I ever will. Pain affects your quality of life, and until you live with constant pain, you’ll never truly understand how exhausting it is to do tasks that used to come easily. Pain negatively affects your quality of life, and most people will never truly understand how much of a privilege it is to not live with pain until they have pain that doesn’t go away.

Non-disabled people do have the same limitations as disabled people, and because of that sometimes people complain about the most minor inconvenience without realizing that a lot of these things are privileges. As a disabled person, I know that I have a lot of privileges because I have more mobility than a lot of people with my disability, but there is still a decent amount that I can’t do that I wish I could. If you are busy, it can be annoying to have to skip the gym, but you should never take having that ability for granted because disabled people who don’t have that ability at all would love to do five minutes of the routine you claim is the worst thing in the world. This is not a complete list of everything you did not realize are privileges because it would be impossible to list everything. Never take things for granted because even though you hate doing your everyday chores, you would hate it even more if you relied on someone else to do everything for you. What privileges did you not realize you had? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.

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