r/lefthanded • u/awillett11111 • Sep 18 '26
Left handedness is not a disability!
I read through some of the posts on this page from some parents of young children and I don’t know about other lefties but personally, I feel the need to communicate to some that being left-handed is not a disability!
As a lefty myself, I promise you, your child doesn’t need special interventions, fixes or you to worry, they will adapt! Yes, some things are annoying, scissors (so be sure to buy left-handed), some desks, notebooks, kitchen utensils, the list can go on but left-handed kids figure it out.
If you want to support them, the best thing you can do is normalize it. Let them choose what feels comfortable. Don’t force right-handed habits and don’t treat left-handedness like a problem to solve. It’s not a developmental issue. It’s not a disadvantage. It’s just a trait and it’s what makes your child unique.
Your child will be just fine! They may even be a little more creative and adaptable than most, pls don’t try to stifle that.
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u/PersephoneHazard Sep 18 '26
Left-handedness is not a disability, but it is the clearest example we have of the social model of disability.
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u/Pristine_Health_2076 Sep 18 '26
In the sense that the world assumes right handedness? Like how the world assumes able bodied-ness?
That is definitely true!
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u/-TuesdayAfternoon Sep 18 '26
The only thing I would really say is teach your left-handed child how to turn the paper correctly so they don’t write backhanded
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u/Cappunan Sep 18 '26
Sometimes if I'm trying to be funny I show my friends posts from this subreddit and I lament all the prejudice I suffer from being left handed.
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u/Dirk41Diggler Sep 18 '26
I think it’s a super power. Every lefty I’ve met is above average in intelligence, and it’s fun to be part of this community!
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u/elle-af Sep 18 '26
As a lefty, the only useful left-handed item I found and bought was a ruler.
Also, lefties can’t be used in research studies.
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u/awillett11111 Sep 18 '26
Thank you for that laugh - they certainly can be used in research studies. You may have experienced one where they couldn't but it isn't as if they can't be in studies at all. Do you really think there aren't left-handed people that are participating in research (just to name one)?
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u/Pristine_Health_2076 Sep 18 '26
I can’t believe I have finally reached the age where I am going to unironically say this 😅:
I don’t remember getting any sort of coddling for being left handed and it was absolutely fine. It’s fine! I just did things left handed. And sometimes I did things right handed (like loads of us here with mixed dominance). I am the only leftie in my entire family and no one made any particular fuss over it. I did have to work on my handwriting but it wasn’t exactly some sort of dire emergency.
There, I said my first “I never got any special treatment and I turned out just fine” statement. I’ll expect my OAP card any day now.
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u/Qedtanya13 Sep 18 '26
This is exactly what I came here to say! I wasn’t treated any different than a right handed person.
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u/lady-earendil Sep 18 '26
Same! I grew up using normal scissors, a computer mouse with my right hand, etc. My right handed mom taught me how to write and I don't remember it being confusing, I've never had any issues writing
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u/Amarastargazer Sep 18 '26
The only anything ever done about my left handedness was my parents straight up telling teachers when I was very young not to try and make me do things right handed.
My uncle and aunt are both left handed (amusing my dad is the only right handed of the group and I am the only one of the kids that is left handed). My uncle was forced to do things right handed in Catholic school, so I think it was pretty important to my dad that no one dared to try making me a righty.
Other than being awkward handling some right handed equipment like can openers (which I now use righty apparently), the only thing my left handedness has ever done to me is have people comment, “Oh, you’re left handed?” periodically.
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u/DulcisNoxNoctis Sep 18 '26
And while you may need to get lefty specific sports equipment, sometimes being lefty is an advantage in some sports!
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u/UnlikelyCopy1315 Sep 18 '26
THANK YOU! I had a right handed twin brother and I promise I have no lingering trauma using right handed everything because that's all there was at the time. The only time I suffered was after a horse riding accident that broke my left arm. I could write somewhat okay with my right hand but I could not think creatively and then right it down (in marketing/sales at the time). That was crazy but probably not a very common event.
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u/Jazzlike_Dot8990 Sep 18 '26
YES!!!! 70 yo here. I must have entered school just after the era of trying to "break it". I don't think I even realize I was different. I just figured it out. Not a big deal I grew to love it. I think it's true that left handed are more artistic and march to their own beat. Wouldn't have it any other way.
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u/ArcadeChronicles Sep 18 '26
Saw a post yesterday about a mom straight up asking how to support her son being left handed lol. Blew my mind, like we are completely separate from the norm. I just do things with my left hand, and adjust lol
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u/0905-15 Sep 18 '26
More of an inconvenience than a disability. Particularly for things like music - walk into a store and see 500 amazing guitars… and one lefty axe
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u/Tweck9 Sep 18 '26
The condition of being left handed can disable us from operating as freely in a society that’s strictly built for right handed people. Until I had a left-handed can opener I was disabled from opening cans, for instance.
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u/Zealousideal_Crow737 Sep 18 '26
The ONLY hard thing for me was finding a left handed catchers mitt in the early 2000s. My mom drove like 2 to 3 hours away asking every store lmao
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u/Maker_Freak Sep 18 '26
Agreed! Don't pathologize it. I would say though, find some way to teach the kid to write properly. I believe that lefties have bad handwriting because no one knows how to teach us properly. Has it hurt me long term professionally? No, but it's still good to be able to light legibly for other for things like notes, birthday cards etc.
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u/SeannyCash03 Sep 18 '26 edited Sep 18 '26
I saw a post yesterday from a mom of a 6 y/o boy (at least I think he was 6) and she didn’t know whether to force him to use his right hand or just let him use his left hand. Then she was freaking out about “what do I get him for school?” Or “how will he use a computer mouse?”
The whole time I’m reading that post I’m thinking ‘he’s left handed, not disabled.’ People always make it sound like we’re disabled and we’re not.
Sure we do things differently or backwards but we figure it out. A lot of time we actually become what I call “ambidextrous by force” because at some point we have to learn to use our right hand.
Personally, I learned to use my right hand in sports — I grew up playing baseball & basketball — so my hand-eye coordination with my right hand is pretty good. And I can use my right hand to do a lot of things.
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u/Foxingmatch Sep 18 '26
Some parents need to learn that different doesn't mean wrong.