Today is Disability Awareness Day. It offers us a chance to promote awareness and understanding, as well as a moment to reflect on the lives of individuals living with a disability, and what those of us blessed with able bodies can do to assist.

There are a number of articles coming to you from CVs and members alike aiming to spread awareness on the matter, so I won't double up on their efforts. But I want to take a moment to reiterate that not all disabilities are visible. Lately I've heard a lot of stories from people using disabled parking being abused by passers by, either verbally or via a note left on their dash, for not 'looking' disabled. It's a common theme. People will tend to judge the heath of another by how they look, but it is worth remembering that not all sick people look sick. The vast majority of disabilities are those you cannot see by looking at a person.

Some people live with chronic pain. Others with respiratory difficulties. Some people live with chronic fatigue. Someone may be able to walk briefly but require the use of a wheelchair for most of their day to avoid exhausting what little energy they have. Some people may require a service animal not because they can't see where they're going, but because they live with severe anxiety and cannot cope without the support. If you see someone using a service or aide provided for people with disabilities and think they don't 'look' disabled, take a moment to remember that you have no idea what's going on inside! These aides are there to allow people living with disabilities to attain or maintain independence and the worst thing any of us can do is guilt, shame or pressure people out of using these aides because they don't conform to what society thinks disability look like.

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For this week's feature, we'll be focusing on Braille! Braille is familiar to most of us. It's a system of writing made for the visually impaired, using a series of bumps and indentations to form the languages.

Art is such a visual medium, and it's easy to take for granted the access to it our sight gives us. The following are artworks designed for, or inspired by, the vision impaired. In honour of the day, this feature includes artwork from outside the Artisan Craft galleries as well.

Literature

Photography

Traditional Art

Stock & Resources

Disability Awareness 2013 The Glossary ProjectThe Reality
A disability is understood as a physical, mental, or developmental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. A disability is more than an impairment or physical restriction though nowadays; the definition of disability has broadened to include mental and emotional states in recent years. July 14th is a day dedicated to bringing awareness to disabilities of all kinds. The day was started by a UK non-profit.
As I have said in a previous journal for Purple Day, I am very passionate about creating bridges of understanding. If you were to meet me it wouldn't be outwardly obvious that I am considered a person with disabilities, but I have photosensitive epilepsy, ADD, OCD, ODD, and HFA (or Asperger's), to name but a few of my conditions. I'm not alone. Worldwide,   Winner! Disability Awareness Day + MiniContestThanks to everybody who participated, be it by sharing your words of support through a comment, writing your personal experiences in your journals or participating in our mini contest to spread awareness, the support you've given this cause has been amazing and it's so overwhelming to see you all coming closer to one another giving words of comfort and respect! You made me shed a tear . Thank you so much!
I've given everyone who contributed a certain number of points.
 The winner of the contest is:
Sometimes Life Gets In the Way of Itself... by ~WayTOGOZippo

Congratulations :iconclapplz:
 
"A disability is understood as a physical, mental, or developmental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. A 'Disability' is not 'deficit'.Today, July 14th, is Disability Awareness Day.
People who do not have disabilities are fortunate in some ways; for example, they don't have to worry about whether they will be able to exit a burning building, wake up with excruciating pain, or have to choose between purchasing expensive medications that can keep them alive and paying their rent. However, please do not pity those of us who do, for having a disability does not automatically make someone less "lucky" than others.
It has nothing to do with luck.
I realize from firsthand experience that having a disability is extraordinarily challenging. Living with pain, as one example, must be beyond imagination. Living with suicidal thoughts and not knowing whether you will wake up in the morning because of all the medications you have to take for your disability is terrifying. It takes a lot of strength sometimes just to get up in the morning and face a day that is undou