New research has revealed the surprising scope and scale of the misconceptions many still hold about the lives of disabled people.
Research by Transreport, the company behind the Passenger Assistance app which helps disabled people access public transport, suggests that public interest in the experiences of disabled people has changed drastically over the past ten years and that myths and misconceptions may be growing, rather than reducing.
Jay Shen, the founder of Transreport believes that the research shows there are still a number of “harmful myths” that need to be debunked.
Expert campaigners have warned that many myths about disabled people intensify challenges faced when trying to go about their daily activities. And they contribute to the significant negative impact on disabled people’s wellbeing, employment opportunities and social lives.
Transreport’s researchers conducted a focus group with disabled public transport users and subsequently analysed thousands of pieces of Google data to identify trends and patterns in how people are using search engines in relation to information about disabled people, their needs, experiences, and rights.
Here are some of the more unusual questions people have searched for (but were too afraid to ask):
‘Can guide dogs be black?’
‘Can disabled people vote?’
‘Can disabled people drive?’
‘Do wheelchairs float’
‘Why are disabled toilets locked?’
‘How do disabled people drive?’
‘Can disabled people park in parent and child spaces?’
‘Why are disabled toilets blue?’
As well as the unusual questions people have, the research revealed a number of myths that are still commonly believed. For example:
‘People are ‘registered as disabled’ - This is not the case. There is no central registry of disabled people and nobody needs to register their impairment to access services and support.
‘Being disabled is a permanent state that can be proven’ - People experience impairments in a variety of ways and some disabled people have varying accessibility needs day by day.
‘Some toilets are for wheelchairs only’ - While the most common way to indicate that a facility is suitable for disabled people is to use an image of a wheelchair, typically a white wheelchair on a blue background, it’s a myth that this means ‘wheelchairs only’. More often it simply means that the facilities are suitable for disabled people and people for whom the other facilities aren’t suitable.
‘Deaf people can’t drive’ - This is an old myth that still prevails. Deaf people can drive a car and are under no obligation to disclose their impairment as it doesn’t impact their ability to drive safely. Deaf people driving certain other vehicles, for example public transport, may be required to let their employer know.
‘Disabled people can’t use parent and child parking spaces’ - This myth assumes that disabled people aren’t also parents. Of course, disabled people are just as entitled to use the parent and child space as non-disabled people.
Jay Shen, CEO and founder of Transreport, coordinated the research. He says:
“It’s a harmful myth that people can and or need to be ‘registered disabled’. There’s no such thing and it’s frustrating to see that even some local authorities use this term. It leads to confusion as well as disabled people being wrongly challenged when using accessible toilets or having radar keys.”
He added: “You can learn a lot about public perceptions by analysing the questions people ask and the topics they research online. Our research suggests that overall, people are keen to understand about the experiences of disabled people. But some of the search terms pointed to profound misunderstandings.”
Accessibility specialist Sarah Rennie, a wheelchair user, believes the lack of understanding about accessibility, while typically not malicious, does suggest more needs to be done to raise awareness on certain issues.
Sarah said: “It does raise a smile when you see that people are ‘Googling’ whether guide dogs can be black or whether wheelchairs can float, but misplaced confidence in one’s knowledge can lead to serious consequences. A friend of mine who is blind was recently turned away from a venue because the staff didn’t believe her black Labrador was a real guide dog. They assumed only golden retrievers are legitimate assistance dogs. Humiliating and confrontational incidents like this have a huge impact on disabled people’s confidence.”
She added: “It’s positive that people are doing their own research. While some disabled people may be open to answering questions that are based on a genuine desire to understand our experiences better, it’s important to remember that it’s not usually appropriate to ask personal questions, particularly to total strangers. And it really isn’t down to disabled people to educate non-disabled people about the things that affect our daily lives, especially when it comes to our legal rights. In business, it’s an employer’s responsibility to ensure all staff, particularly in customer-facing roles, are trained and understand the Equality Act.”
The data analysed by Transreport appeared to demonstrate a conflation between disability and the use of a wheelchair. Most disabled people do not use a wheelchair, and this is one of the biggest sources of friction and prejudice for people with hidden impairments.
Some focus group participants reported that they’d been challenged to prove their impairment by providing documentation. The most common scenarios where this happened were when they tried to use accessible facilities or get assistance at a venue. Others expressed concern that people who have invisible impairments often face abuse and get publicly challenged when using accessible toilets or sitting in priority seats on public transport.
“It really isn’t down to disabled people to educate non-disabled people about the things that affect our daily lives, especially when it comes to our legal rights.” - Sarah Rennie, campaigner and accessibility expert.