Narratives of Ambivalent Meanings of Acquired Physical Disability in Japan

Experiences of people with disabilities cannot be simply examined from positive aspects or negative ones; both aspects are required. This study examines the ambivalent meanings of acquired disability through a qualitative analysis of the life stories of Japanese men with spinal cord injuries. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 men who had sustained the injury over 10 years ago, at around the age of 20. The participants valued job and welfare or social activities, by managing their impairments. They regarded their personal disability issues as social ones and actively promoted social awareness. However, some of them recounted ambivalent experiences; they maintained the vision that they would become able-bodied people again, or were reluctant to participate in social activities, because they felt inferior to more socially active peers. Examination of ambivalent meanings of acquired disability is necessary for an understanding of the actual situation of people with disabilities.