Reflecting on a good life

Now that we’ve talked a little bit about living a good life, and about some disabling attitudes and stereotypes, let’s bring these two ideas together.

In the above video, various people who study different aspects of disability provide their views of how we might think about disability and a good life together.

Probably the most resonant word in this video, from two different people, is “flourishing” — that being able to flourish is what enables a good life, and that this is no different for people with disabilities than it is for anyone else. When members of the course team and the advisory group heard this, we all agreed the concept of flourishing was a powerful one. It prompts us to ask questions about the range of things that might prevent people with disabilities from flourishing.

We will continue to explore this theme in the coming weeks.

What have we learned this week?

We started this first week by suggesting that stereotypical assumptions about disability can make it seem as if a good life is impossible for people with disabilities. We have outlined some of those disabling attitudes, the adverse impacts they can have, and the some ways in which they are being challenged.

Valuing a good life for everyone is an important way of challenging the derogatory labels often applied to disabled people and the discriminatory attitudes and processes that being disabled often brings. But thinking critically about a good life also requires an engagement with very diverse bodies, perceptions and experiences. We can’t assume that there is a “normal” good life.

As we wrap up this week, it’s important to remember that people with disabilities are the only experts on what living a good life is for them. Creatively negotiating the effects of impairment and societal attitudes means that many people with disabilities — as well as the family, friends and allies of disabled people — have thought long and hard about what defines a good life, and how to make it possible, often within severe constraints.

In upcoming weeks, we will look at many other examples of ways in which people with disabilities are prevented from having a good life, and how they push back against this.

In Week 2 we focus on the different ways people with disabilities are classified, identified and labelled — and what effects this might have on their ability to live good lives.

Talking points

• Have your ideas about living a good life changed over the week?
• Have your ideas about disability changed over the week?
• What are you looking forward to exploring further?