Admitting shame is a tough thing to do. Perhaps as complex as the shameful experience itself? Clearly, it is not unique to disabled people. Is there something more with us? An additional new perceived weakness, or from internalised ableism, it is hard to ignore but easier to deny. Stigma and societal attitudes can mean we have it thrust upon us if a person, on finding out we are disabled, says, ‘What a shame.’ 

Two people inspired the topic of shame in our latest show. Natalie Illsey, a disabled creative in the US, emailed us to ask how we feel about people saying, ‘What a shame’. Damon Rose, a BBC journalist, said to Simon that we should discuss how we feel about shame.

We hope you enjoy our thoughts, which were influenced by Natalie and Damon. We’d love to get your feedback on this most difficult topic, so email us at [email protected] or find us on social media, The Way We Roll.

Links

Counselling for Disabled People SpokzPeople 

Natalie Illsey LinkedIn

Damon Rose