physical difference/disfigurement
What to know
A physical difference that can significantly affect someone’s life is sometimes referred to as disfigurement (though this is not a universally accepted term). It can result from accidents, injuries, congenital disorders, or medical conditions, and can manifest in a wide variety of ways. These differences in appearance can have physical, emotional, and psychological effects.
People with facial differences may experience structural discrimination via “face-ism.” (They’re also more likely to be associated with villains in media such as Freddy Krueger, the Joker, Scar from The Lion King, and others, which further normalizes the stigmas associated with facial differences.) Legal recourse for this type of discrimination is murky. Even though the Equality Act of 2010 affords legal protections for those with a “severe disfigurement,” the parameters for what constitutes disfigurement aren’t well-defined.
One of the most significant factors fueling the stigma is language. Often, physical difference is described with negative-coded language such as “flawed” or “deformed,” with the implication that someone’s physical appearance differs significantly from accepted beauty standards. The term “disfigurement” itself also carries negative connotations. People with facial differences and researchers have suggested using phrases like “physical difference(s)” or simply describing the difference.
As with any such identifier, if necessary and relevant to coverage to include, taking into account how someone describes themselves helps align language with their lived experience. Someone’s condition or the cause of a visible physical difference cannot be assumed. Physical differences can correspond with many conditions and circumstances, and people’s experiences with those differences will vary widely; one person’s account cannot stand in for those of everyone with a physical difference.
Additional resources
- Facial Disfigurement and Identity (American Medical Association Journal of Ethics)
- A hidden community: Facial disfigurement as a globally neglected human rights issue (National Library of Medicine)
- Face Equality International Wants Disfigurement Recognized As A ‘True Disability’ (Forbes)
Summary
A physical difference that can significantly affect someone’s life is sometimes referred to as disfigurement (though this is not a universally accepted term). It can result from accidents, injuries, congenital disorders, or medical conditions, and can manifest in a wide variety of ways. These differences in appearance can have physical, emotional, and psychological effects, and people with such differences may experience stigma and discrimination. People with facial differences and researchers have suggested using phrases like “physical difference(s)” or simply describing the difference. As with any such identifier, if necessary and relevant to coverage to include, taking into account how someone describes themselves helps align language with their lived experience.