By Wendy Burnett
I hate the “court shows” that have taken over daytime TV, but I get stuck watching them on a regular basis because my husband likes them . . .
That disclaimer being made, Judge Judy happened to be on my TV the other day while I was getting ready for work. The case doesn’t really matter, it was just another group of folks making themselves look stupid until Judge Judy came out with something to the effect of:
“if he was able to go pick up money at Western Union, twice, he doesn’t sound very disabled to me!”
This is a perfect example of the total ignorance of what a disability IS, and the complete lack of understanding that people with disabilities face every day from the “healthy” population.
Does Judge Judy perhaps think that if we are not totally confined to our homes, we don’t qualify as disabled? Has she forgotten that even those among us who use a wheelchair, and therefore are VISIBLY dealing with some form of disability, are still able to leave our homes? Does she think that going to Western Union to pick up money (a fifteen to twenty minute process) is somehow more difficult than getting to the doctor’s office and spending hours waiting to be seen, or would being able to go to the doctor also disqualify us from being able to claim our disability?
Maybe the person whose disability she so easily dismissed was a veteran who lost his legs fighting for our country, or a former police officer who was shot in the line of duty. Would that have changed her opinion, or would she still have dismissed his reality so lightly? What if he had lost a foot to diabetes? Would that disqualify him because diabetes is considered a “lifestyle disease” and those of us who are diabetic must have “brought it on ourselves?” Does a person with uncontrolled schizophrenia qualify as disabled; or someone with fibromyalgia or myalgic encephalomyelitis, or does the fact that these chronic illnesses are invisible disqualify those who have them even though many fibro and ME patients are confined to bed for long periods (and are actually more likely to be confined to their homes than those with more visible disabilities)?
I’m used to Judge Judy’s insensitivity, abrasive personality and absolute lack of understanding that her life is not typical for many of us; but this rude, insensitive statement totally threw me.
[Random rant related to the lack of understanding: In the case that is on right now, she just asked the defendant for his grandfather's phone number, and when he stated that his grandfather doesn't have a phone she said, "I don't believe you. EVERYONE has a phone." No, Ma'am, everyone DOESN'T have a phone . . . I don't. My husband has one, but we frequently don't have service on it because we didn't have money to buy minutes. I haven't had a telephone since 2008, and for almost a year my husband didn't have one either. There are also quite a few people who don't have bank accounts, because they don't have any money to put in them. The only reason I have one is because direct deposit is easier than trying to find someone to cash a check these days. (Bank accounts don't make a lot of sense when the money is gone the day after the check is deposited, especially if the company you work for doesn't offer direct deposit and you have to pay "service fees". Why would I be willing to pay someone to take my money and give it back to me when I can just keep it in the first place?)]
So, anyway, back to the point of this post; which is supposed to be the general ignorance of the “able” population about what disability is, and what someone who is labeled “disabled” is actually able to do (and not able to do.) [And, by the way, that label is incorrect as well. We are not disabled, we have a disability or combination of disabilities.]
According to the UN definition, a disability is:
Any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.
According to Social Security, a disabling condition
- must be severe enough to last for at least the length of a year (or be projected to last that long) AND
- must prevent a person from being able to work during that time at one of their former jobs or engage in any other type of work
Even the ridiculously restrictive Social Security definition doesn’t exclude being able to visit the Western Union office. Just because someone is able to dress and go out for an hour or two does not mean they’re capable of spending 8 hours a day working (or even 2 hours.) I have friends who could manage to go to the Western Union office if it were important enough, but who would spend the next week in so much pain that they’d be confined to bed; and other friends, with disabilities that fit the Social Security definition, who wouldn’t be physically affected at all.
Statements like Judge Judy’s perpetuate stigma, discrimination against, and misunderstanding of the disability community. If we allow them to go unchallenged, our silence makes us complicit in this stigmatization. If this upsets you as badly as it does me; please write about it, contact Judge Judy and let her know how unacceptable such statements are, contact FOX and let them know how you feel about it, spread the word . . .
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great post Hon!
Thanks dart . . .
You totally screwed up the story. Judge Judy got onto these stupid ass people because they collect disability and claim they cannot work at all. These people were 25 years old and doing full time jobs for cash and tried to tell Judy its perfectly fine with the Disability IS as long as you don’t tell them. Judy told them NOOOO. You make it seem like she is making fun of people in wheelchairs just for fun. These people were staight up white trash lazy and should go to prison for fraud. This is whats wrong with this country nobody WANTS to work.
You are making assumptions . . . I never said anything about the people in the courtroom (who, by the way, were black.) In fact, the disabled person she was criticizing wasn’t even IN the courtroom, and he was the father of the defendant, who was at least 18 years old (which means the disabled gentleman would have to at least be in his 30s.) Since you obviously didn’t even see the same show, telling me I screwed up the story is inappropriate at the least, and quite rude in addition. The people in the show you watched may or may not have been disabled, but I have no problem with Judge Judy criticizing people who have admitted they’re breaking the law. I DO, however, have extreme issues with her assuming someone isn’t disabled because they are capable of going somewhere . . .
Very well said!
Thanks Teri
SO true!
I have seen this a lot, even to the point that if you are smiling or enjoying yourself, you must NOT be disabled or suffering from pain. So even if I spend 12 hours on patchy pain-interupted sleep and the other 12 hours totally in constant pain (trying to distract myself, care for myself, fight through my situation, and cope and carry on with my day), it’s totally wiped out if I spend 30 seconds laughing? Even though my life is complete misery 95% of the time, if I try to find some hope and enjoyment in life, I must not truly be severely affected.
I’m sure Judge Judy would think so, given your description! Sadly, too many people share her narrow-minded stereotypical viewpoint.
~krismom
Kris – exactly. You’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. If you do spend your entire life miserable, nobody wants anything to do with you because you “bring them down,” but if you try to find some minor pleasure in life to relieve the misery, you “must be faking, and it couldn’t possibly be as bad as you say it is.”
I saw that show and I was stunned. It is amazing how ignorant some people can be.
Rosemary – isn’t it though. I think anyone would have to be an idiot to want to fake a disability anyway. For heaven’s sake, you can live better on a minimum wage job than you can on the pittance the disability folks allow you.
Wow!!! Ignorance is bliss! This pisses me off! I have been video taped a couple of times….. I was attending doctor appointments, but videographer did not show where I was…. I guess so it would look like I was just out having the time of my life!!! He was sure to zoom on the sign of other places like Subway…. Yep people with disabilities eat!!! Yet again, he did not zoom on the sign of my doctor office!!! I did not choose this life full of chronic pain…. I would much rather be working my hard earned career as a registered dental hygienist…. Where I could make 6 times more money then I get on disability!! Ugh I hate stupid people….. And stupid judges!!!
Yeah, the insurance companies don’t pay their spies to show the truth, they pay them to make it look like you’re doing something that proves you’re lying about how sick or hurt you are . . .
This angers me alot. Judge Judy pisses me off as is with her “holier than thou” attitude. This crosses the line. I cannot believe how someone in a position of authority be so dismissive. I wonder why people even waste their time with her.
syotos – her attitude pisses me off too. She seems to think that if you’re poor or sick it’s your own fault, and all you have to do is decide not to be . . .She just doesn’t “get” that poor people usually work a hell of a lot harder than the ones that make 6 figures+, at jobs that destroy their bodies and don’t even pay a living wage.
I was all for writing until I saw that she was on Fox. Fox is hopeless.
Ginny – There is that . . . actually, I think she is too, but I just HAD to say something. (Not that it will actually make any difference to her, I don’t make enough money for her to care what I think.)
This is insane !!!! I am considered House-bound Disabled but I am able to get around on my power chair and with use of my K9 Service/Companions to do other things, like take nice strolls out doors and not being confined inside all the time.
Judge Judy doesn’t know everything like she “thinks” she does. She is NOT ALWAYS RIGHT nor is she perfect!!
P-Nut – Not only is she not always right, she is intolerant, insensitive, and rude.
I’m glad that you have noted the insensitivity that is so present on television…great job!
Thanks Doc – there’s so much of this kind of thing, everywhere you look, not just on TV. Some of us even have to deal with this kind of attitude from members of our own families . . .
Grrr.
The truly sad thing is that ALJs — the judges responsible for determining whether you qualify for SSDI — make these assumptions too. That’s why the advice to people trying to get benefits is, don’t give simple answers without explaining. For instance, if the ALJ asks how much you’re usually able to walk in a day, don’t say “two blocks.” Say, “Two blocks, but I have to stop to rest at least nine times, and then I spend the rest of the day recovering.”
I can give healthy people a pass for making these assumptions — it’s not intuitively obvious if you’re not sick/don’t know somebody who is. But if they don’t get it after one explanation, they have no excuse.
cinderkeys – I totally agree. If they don’t get it in one, they probably don’t WANT to get it. It’s ridiculous that people who have so much else to deal with have to fight this kind of prejudice as well.
Great post. That’s Judge Judy for you. Her motto is “If it doesn’t make sense; it’s not true.” A bit ironic.
As you point out, her ignorance about disability (specifically invisible disability) that she demonstrated here is widespread. Thanks for helping to dispel the myths. Some will read this and lower their heads, realizing how illogical and ignorant their assumptions were.
Oops. A comma belongs in my comment, not a semi-colon.
Judge Judy really makes my blood boil. I honestly don’t know why people can support and like such a rude and nasty person like her. There was one time she called a US veteran’s daughter a ‘freeloader’, simply because she was receiving payment benefits that she was ENTITLED to! My older sisters are disabled, and if she treated them like that, I would personally have her sued for verbal abuse.
So very true. I see this show while other family members are watching Whenever there is a litigant that receives disability I know she will try to disprove their disability and if all possible rule against them. In addition, she always yells at the person “You didn’t pay with your money, you paid with my money and Byrd’s money. I’ve seen cases where it’s proven the money was a loan to the defendant yet she rules against the plaintiff on the basis that the income was from SSDI and therefore not their money to begin with. I understand that she is simply acting as an arbitrator on the show and not an actual judge. What I can’t understand is how she can be allowed to make a judgement based on the fact that she feels if the person’s income is from disability it is not their money and isn’t eligible to be repaid.
Michael – Yeah, the woman is SERIOUSLY prejudiced against anyone who is sick or unable to get a good job for any reason. . . She gets away with unfair decisions because everyone who goes on the show is required to sign a “contract” agreeing to accept her decision as final, and because it’s not actually a court of law, they have no right to appeal.
She does make assumptions about disabled people especially with invisible disabilities like mental illness. However, there was one time she had a couple on who were both on SSI for learning disabilities. The man was working in construction under the table and rationalized it by saying that SSA wouldn’t care if they didn’t know about it. There are those people that are allowed for some reason to scam the system but they are few and far between, and when they are on Judge judy they make for good ratings.
Ok, First of all, I’ve watched her in the past and to tell ya the truth, she was quite good in her younger days. Now days? ooOOFA!!! Right down to the facts, she thinks she’s god almighty and she stated, she’s going to live another 10 years. Damn now, I wish I knew exactly how long I’m gonna live. 100% agree with y’all, about the dissability deal. Another thing she does is, demand where a person works, what he makes per hour and is there taxes taken out. God forbid, if you are working under the table, just to try and survive. She’s a trouble maker about working under the table and dissability, hoping for the needy to get caught, by her and her personal questions. But on the other hand, why the hell would she care, she makes her 45,000,000,00 a year. Bottom line here, she’s fried to a crisp/burnt out. Just take notice sometime and watch here eyes, along with waving her hand like a priest. Goo home ya mean miserable old sea hag!!!
I am waiting for updates, more new and fresh comments about this …
I agree, Judge Judy’s time came and went a long time ago. Basically, she’s just the riungmaster of her own private three-ring circus, providing nasty vicarious laughs at people who seem to be dumber than a box o’ rocks. I say “seem” because that’s what TV is all about–appearamnces, surfaces, etc. Though I think you’d have to be pretty dumb to even go on her show expecting actual due-process justice. Again, that ain’t what she’s about. She’s an entertainer, and a mean-spirited, self-aggrandizing, theatrical (big surprise), and judgmental one (big surprise #2).
As a few have suggested, the real tragedy is when the adjudictors and hearing judges we may be staking our very lives on fail to carefully, thoroughly, and compassionately consider the evidence we have worked (yes!) so hard to accumulate and present. Even with an attorney, we still have to do a lot of legwork, including going to enough doctors often enough to create a pain trail. Incredible that they could demand this of us, then say compliance means we’re not really disabled! I can’t help but wonder if the fact that I drove myself 50 miles roundtrip for a (worthless) appointment with SS’s token doctor killed my second appeal. I could not find any other way to get there, period. And I was in pain all the way there, all the time at the doctor’s, and all the way back, plus flat on my back for the next few days. I asked a non-driving friend to come with me to make sure I made it there and back in one piece and didn’t get lost. But they don’t care about that, I guess.
I am praying that the judge I get for my hearing, whenever that ends up happening, has a brain and a heart (sounds like the Wizard of Oz:) Otherwise, I don’t know what I’m going to do. Sorry for the rant!
It’s not just judge judy this attitude among judges is widspread. I am a 70% disabld Vet (ptsd). I filed a suit pro se in a district court because I could not afford a lawyer. The court not only dismissed my complaint, but insulted me when he did it. This is what he said:
“Plaintiff appears to be asking for special treatment in the litigation process because of her
disability, as she requests that the court allow her to continue her claims as a “reasonable accommodation.” However, a reasonable accommodation, as pointed out by defendant,
is a term of art that describes statutory obligations of an employer to a disabled employee, and is not relevant in the context of litigation and res judicata. The court cannot simply give plaintiff a free pass to ignore the rules and binding precedent because she was allowed to bring her claims separately
in the administrative process.”
Free pass? I suffered in silence for over 30 years, but when i ask for accommodations in the court system, i was accused of asking for a free pass????? special trearment????? This hurt. I only recently came out about my disability. Guess I nd to go back in my little whole