Challenges to mental health 53
Body image
The community may judge disabled women as less worthy than other
women because they do not fit that community’s image of a beautiful
woman. But women with disabilities see a wide variety
of bodies and behaviors around them and can
appreciate these differences. They
can come to see themselves as being
beautiful, well-dressed, capable,
and strong, even with their scars,
deformities, amputations, hearing
When I dress neatly
with a matching
sari and blouse, and
wear matching bangles
and bindi on my forehead, I
feel good about myself and
have more confidence.
aids, unusual expressions and
gestures, wheelchairs, crutches,
sticks, canes, or the possibility
of seizures (‘fits’) or bowel and
bladder accidents in public.
How I changed my image
My name is Rose, and I come from Kenya. I am blind, and I have
many family members and friends who help me with my daily
care. I appreciate their help very much. But I was also frustrated
because I did not have much control over how I was dressed or
how things were done. I felt I was being treated like a child all the
time because no one seemed to treat me with any respect.
I wanted to feel more independent. So I started asking questions. When
someone helped me get dressed, I asked what the clothes looked like and
how my hair was done. I also asked how other women my age were dressed
and how they styled their hair.
I soon realized that when my helpers dressed me and did
my hair, I ended up looking like a child. No wonder people
didn’t treat me with respect. But I am a grown woman of 25,
and don’t want to be treated as a child. So I asked my helpers
if they would help me learn to fix my hair myself the way
other women in the community did theirs. They were glad
to. They had never thought about it before. Because they
were used to fixing their own young daughters’ hair, they helped me in
the same way. Now, my friends help me to dress like other women in the
community. And other people in the community treat me with respect.
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007