Entangled Concepts, Paradigms and Walks of Life in Disabled People’s Life Writings

This paper discloses how disabled people in Hungary experience and reflect on the constant changes of disability-related concepts and paradigms. Consequently, people oftentimes get lost in the fields of disability. In order to find our way and help others find theirs, I believe I must disentangle these concepts and paradigms. A personal narrative helps me illustrate the danger these entangled paradigms can cause. After examplifying the danger, I move towards the several questions the narrative provokes. Due to the complex and complicated nature of all the questions the fragment implies, I can solely highlight the ones that are reflected in the narratives I refer to. A holistic approach to the topic requires me to harmonize concepts, such as disability and ableism, thus, even readers who are less familiar with disability studies can understand the significance and messages of paradigms from moral to cultural models. Through dis/abled people’s personal narratives we all can observe and comment on the impacts of changes from segregation to belonging, from pitiable freaks to responsible mothers. Based on this holistic approach I examine how disabled persons reflect on the entangled concepts and paradigms in disability-related narratives.