Disabled or Differently Abled?

Rahman Mohamed

In today’s work environment there is a growing discourse of mental and physical illness. At the same time those commonly facing long-term or lifetime illness, commonly known as disabled, are not often seen. Whether it is on the parking lot sign or a different bathroom, the common symbol for disabled is a wheelchair. People often think of a disabled person as someone who looks different – whether it is the wheelchair, the cane, a person with black glasses because s/he is blind, it is commonly assumed that a disability is something you can see. Concordia University defines an invisible disability as “medical conditions like chronic pain and diabetes, or mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder” – something you cannot see. Continue reading

Dementia, Delirium, Dyslexia

Not all D’s are the same
Rahman Mohamed

Dementia: an impairment in how you think that can effect your social function

Delirium: a state of confusion related to a medical treatment

Dyslexia: a process in the brain that makes it harder for a person to understand written information

Dementia, delirium and dyslexia all have an effect of how a person thinks and expresses.  They have similarities but are not the same. Continue reading

Changing Face of Bullying

Who, how, and what is a bully today?
Rahman Mohamed

When you think of a bully the first image that often comes to mind is the school bully, the biggest boy in the school yard who’s holding up the little guy’s collar and demanding lunch money.  There’s more to bullying than the big boy.

A bully is a blustering, browbeating person, especially one who is habitually cruel, insulting, or threatening to others who are weaker, smaller.  Whether it’s the stereotypical schoolyard boy or the mean boss who makes others work over time, traditionally it refers to a single individual who makes life harder for others.  Today bullying is categorized in multiple forms.  The bully can be an individual or a group that makes life hard for someone or a group, the victim.

Continue reading