<p>People get really freaked out by disabilities and don’t know how to react, even if the disabilities aren’t mental. If others don’t really notice is, then your roommate probably won’t either. If they do and they ask, just tell them.</p>
<p>You could always wait a few weeks and then mention it to your roommate once they know you, but if you don’t feel like telling them, then don’t.</p>
<p>My sister has autism and I’ve met tons of kids through her with different types of disabilities (physical and/or mental) and they definitely make others feel uneasy even if they’re really just completely normal kids and people “want to act normal” and treat them normally, but they just don’t know how.</p>
<p>Do you normally tell people? Or do you just leave it be?</p>
<p>I had a disabled roommate (and we’ll be living together next year.) I didn’t find out until I overheard him telling someone about it a few days after move-in. Personally, I would have liked for him to have told me. When I noticed little things there was no way I wanted to mention it for fear of sounding rude. But I also felt rude by just ignoring it in a weird way.</p>
<p>@AUGirl No I normally don’t tell people
If they don’t know than I don’t tell
of course there are always a few people “adults -teachers”
Who’ve done research about it and can recognize it
In that case I tell if they ask questions</p>
<p>I just don’t like dropping bombs on people that because than they think of all sort of crazy things and freak out but I don’t want to feel like I’m hiding anything either</p>
<p>I wouldn’t tell her. Personally, I think that’s just making such big deal out of it. She will learn that you have a disability and will most likely not acknowledge it. It’s not like it’s anything contagious that she would need to be careful about…</p>
<p>AUgirl. Normally i am that way (i have aspergers), but sometimes questions get asked as to why i act the way i do sometimes and i have no problem telling them. Its just another quirk i have and i am not asshamed of it.</p>
<p>We become good friends. We chose to get an apartment with some people from our building for next school year.</p>
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<p>I should clarify. It’s not like I was upset that he didn’t tell me or anything. I just think it would have been easier to have known beforehand instead of constantly wondering why he would hold his computer really close (he has a vision problem.) I personally felt rude whenever I would suspect anything. Then again, I don’t see why your roommate would deserve any right to know over the other friends you will make, so unless you generally tell people when you meet them, you shouldn’t feel obligated to tell you roommate. As long as you’re okay with her, or anyone, wondering why you walk pigeon-toed, you can just wait until they say something. But honestly, if the only thing is that you walk pigeon-toed, I doubt anyone will think anything. I know plenty of people who walk like that who have no disabilities.</p>
<p>I think it is one of those things that you don’t need to tell the world, but in a close relationship, it could get awkward to hide- if it is noticeable. I think the difficulty is that the term “CP” is very broad. Your situation is very mild, but your room mate could think it is more serious. Meet your room mate first, but then you could say something like you posted " I was born with a mild motor difficulty in my legs, and I walk pigeon-toed, but it has not effected me otherwise and I am fine. It was called “mild CP” and I’m used to it. It has not stopped me from doing what I want to do". This way she understands that you are not doing this on purpose, and that you don’t want to be treated differently.</p>
<p>I think by defining it, you don’t leave people to their own imaginations. It’s possible that your roommate may think “CP” means something else if they are not informed about it.</p>
<p>Likewise with something like Aspergers- which can affect relationships. Define it like "sometimes I seem distracted, or don’t get what you are saying to me, or I say something that you might find odd- but please say something if it bothers you. That way, a roommate won’t think you are acting some way deliberately and you can maintain the relationship. </p>
<p>Your roommates may have situations of their own, and much of it is working things out and being considerate.</p>
<p>My wife is a type-1 diabetic with an insulin pump. She doesn’t tell people she’s a type-1 unless they happen to see her pump which is usually hidden under her clothes. If people ask, then she tells them, but it’s something very personal to her and her co-workers didn’t even know until months after she first started working there. If you feel the same way, then individuals should understand and not feel that you’re “hiding” it from them.</p>
<p>Most health ailments are personal. I work with a disabled lady who wears a hearing aid. I know she wears one because I’ve seen her turn it on/off when needed and she holds the phone an unusual way than if she wasn’t hearing impaired. I’ve worked with her for over 2 years now and she’s never brought it up in conversation. Am I upset that she doesn’t share it with me because I see her everyday? No, I assume it’s personal to her and I will respect that.</p>
<p>I too would not mention it unless they ask. My wife is a type-1, but she’s also a person and likes to be treated as such without people’s innate judegements about her disease. I think it’s more important for someone to get to know you as you and your personality before knowing you as a disabled peer.</p>
<p>I agree with not mentioning it. I have autism and LDs, and it’s generally not noticeable… some people will sometimes note that I am just a little strange, but never enough that they think anything is different about me. If you just make an “announcement” about it and tell her for no reason, she isn’t going to know what to do with that information. I wouldn’t keep it a secret, if it comes up go ahead and mention it if you’re comfortable, but there’s no reason to just up and tell her just for the sake of telling her. She won’t know how to respond and it will probably make her uncomfortable. That’s my experience, anyway. </p>
<p>It’s really not something that’s any of her business. It doesn’t affect her or affect your rooming together. Like I said, if it comes up and you’re comfortable, there’s no reason to keep it secret. But it’s a weird thing to proclaim just for the hell of it. Like, OH BY THE WAY MY NATURAL HAIR COLOR IS BROWN---- and??? Just not necessary. If it’s something that affected the way you communicate it might be different, because that would affect your roommate… but this doesn’t.</p>
<p>Since you said it’s barely noticeable, I would also agree that you might not want to mention it right away. Maybe in casual conversation, after you guys already know each other, and if you’re comfortable with it, but since people tend to make assumptions, maybe wait until she knows you well before mentioning it.</p>
<p>If your condition were more severe, it would be better to tell her right away, but I don’t think that’s necessary in your case. From the sound of it, it would about the same as announcing you have mild scoliosis. You could mention casually it in conversation (but if she seems alarmed, tell her that it’s a minor physical problem that you have completely under control).</p>
<p>If it’s not really noticeable and if people usually don’t give you weird looks when you’re out in public I don’t think you have to mention it if you don’t want to. I would tell your roommate though if it is pretty noticeable or if you get close to your roommate because your roommate might be completely confused or shocked if it’s noticeable and might be too afraid to ask you what is up. If anything, just tell your roommate when you feel comfortable. Sorry, I hope my advice helps.</p>
<p>P.S.: By the way haha if you do tell her don’t be vague and say you have a disability, one of my suite mates on the Facebook group for my suite he asked my resident assistant where he can get a disability form and to be honest I was thinking what? I had a lot of things going through my mind wondering what it could be, it ended up being ADHD though.</p>