Disabilities Of The Modern World

Disability has been a difficult topic of society for years. Many people find discomfort in the presence of the disabled and many feel pity for those who are disabled. Back in the 1800s, the disabled were perceived as unable to contribute to society, often forced to undergo sterilization, and forced into institutions and asylums (“A Brief History”). In fact, this treatment of the disabled and mentally ill has been persistent until somewhat recently, when the Civil Rights movement took place, and those with disabilities decided to take a stand for their rights. Although people with disabilities continue to face difficulties in finding jobs, legitimizing their opinion, having the right to vote, and choosing whether or not they receive or refuse

The amount of people who live with disabilities is a controversial number. Depending on what law and diagnostic tools used, a person may have a visible disability, or one that may lie beneath the surface of his or her appearance. Some people believe that the term “disability” is merely a label use to hold back, or prescribe helplessness. Meanwhile, individuals who have been properly diagnosed with disabilities struggle to maintain respect and acceptance every day. In plain language, there is a lot of misunderstanding between people with disabilities and those without. It is firstly important to get everyone on the same page regarding the definition of disability.

In the United States today, there are over fifty-one million disabled adults and children. Throughout our nation’s history, we have not allowed the best treatment and care for these numerous citizens. But, in the recent past, the government has passed laws, made exceptions, and thoroughly tried to provide accommodations to these people with special needs. While this is true, America, as a whole, still views this group as strange or different. Even though this is exceptionally normal, it is not correct. The United States needs to be opened up to the truth about their fellow American citizens. The people of America ought to understand that these disabilities affect not only those who are disabled, but that it affects the family and friends

The society, despite its current level of development, violates the rights of persons with disabilities, when it is led by prejudices, when it denies employment and study opportunities to an individual with a disability or when building inaccessible buildings. But accessibility must also occur in all areas available to anyone: health, education, work, culture; Sports, leisure, and recreation, technology, media,

The lack of accessibility is crippling for physically disabled people. This often leads to isolation and depression. Many disabled people have to move to big city to have the accommodations they need (special doctors, accommodating transportation, disabled friendly activities, etc.). The cost of living in these cities is so high that on top of therapy

I was taken back by how often I had to give verbal cues as to the condition of the road or sidewalk. In a place like old town, which is considered a historical landmark, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations are not usually employed, so for a person with a disability this can be challenging to navigate as the sidewalks are narrow, unbalanced and obstructed. Every bump and crack in the road is a tripping hazard to someone whose vision is impaired. Keeping my patient from running into people or telephone poles and when to step up and down curbs was a task. Several times I had to walk behind her because the two of us could not fit side by side on the walking paths. In addition to the extremely slow walking pace we had to maintain to avoid falling, I would forget she could not see what I could see and kept telling her to look at this store or sculpture, she then would remind me she could not see it so I would then describe it to her or take her to the item so she could feel it for herself. Another thing I noticed is the amount of attention you suddenly get as strangers watch you with curiosity, whereas they would normally probably never have given us a second glance if we were not portraying a person with impairments. One concerned onlooker did approach us as we were going down uneven

Formerly, persons with disabilities were kept private and out of public view. In recent years, the number of people living with disabilities has increased due to longer life expectancy and advancement of medical treatments for life-threatening illness. With the transition of persons with a disabilities into more conventional lifestyles, they are now thriving in society. Disabled persons can be increasingly independent through an assisting device such a cane or wheelchair, though cultural barriers still exist between disabled and able-bodied persons.

Throughout history both in the past and present many individuals who are living or who lived with a disability have been viewed as a burden to society. According to The Dimensions of a Disability Oppression (2010) by L.J Charlton several aspects are intertwined with disability oppression which is beliefs, politics and economics. Policy and the world system have a lot to do with how people see another person especially an individual with a disability because thanks to poverty and powerlessness are viewed as daily experiences in the life of someone living with a disability. In our society when it comes to differences we either ignore it and if we feel that it’s not dominant enough we start to think its subordinate compared to us. We are taught

All throughout the 20th Century Americans have fought with endless vigor to gain equal rights. In many ways we've created new opportunities for minorities in America, but with each passing year new problems arise. For example, the American female community has made leaping bounds in the field of equality; this past election was the first time in history that a woman has made it to the position of presidential nominee. However, they still have struggles, as do many of the cultural groups living in America. A community that's currently facing equality struggles is the American disabled community. Many people with disabilities—mental and physical—have a harder time finding employment because of their health issues. Many activists of the disabled community such as Helen Keller (who is deaf and blind) and Judith Heumann (who has polio) have pushed to pass many disabled-rights laws (B4 Civil Rights). One such law is the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), which was passed in 1990 and made workplace discrimination against disabled people illegal (B4 Civil Rights). Americans have also tried to create a new amendment to the Constitution to end discrimination against the disabled, but it was never ratified (B4 Civil Rights). Although the disabled community faces struggles, they fight endlessly for their rights even today.

If a new toaster doesn't work we say it is, “defective” or “damaged “and either return it or throw it away. Many places are inaccessible to people with a physical handicap, I took a class where we actually went into a building and tried to maneuver, using my client's wheelchair, crutches, etc. The bathroom didn't meet most of the standards and a wheelchair wouldn't even fit in a handicap stall. In some, high schools and middle class school they had classes for disabilities for slow learning kids, and some of the kids thought that it was really unfair. Two examples of how a “problem” can actually be rephrased into a need for a person whose disability employed in the field would realize they are dependent on people with disabilities for, their live hoods, and would, therefore, treat people with disabilities with greater respect. If the setting is accessible people with disabilities can usually get around fine. For example, if a person is struggling to put a wheelchair into a car, or having some bright light in some building? Physical sensory, cognitive, disabilities affect far more clients than many treatment providers realize. Why Kathie Snow chose to call her company Disability is Natural is because it's redefined as a body part that works

Despite many crucial developments surrounding acceptance of others there is still a long and arduous path ahead of our society. People with disabilities, whatever a given disability may be and mean for the individual, are frequently stigmatized. They are not always offered equal opportunities, nor are they always offered the proper support to fortify their capabilities so that the individual may be the best they can be. Because of this there are many people who never go or return to college, are unemployed, or are isolated from the community.

Before the twentieth century, social outlooks reflected the views of many that people with disabilities which viewed disabled people as unhealthy, flawed and abnormal. For many years, society as a whole treated disabled people as objects out of fear and pity. The predominant approach was that disabled individuals were incompetent of partaking in and contributing to society and that they must depend on welfare or charitable organizations, (Burtner, 2016). Towards the end of the 1800’s, institutions were built by the state and local organizational agencies to house people with developmental impairments. The institutions were commonly built on the borders of the city. Social attitudes adopted this segregating style of managing. Segregating from society stigmatizes people. (Burtner, 2016).

    A person with a disability, or handicap, can be defined as someone with a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial or long-term adverse affect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities (Employment 2). Handicap workers face many challenges in the work place that the average person overlooks. Also, many special arrangements and alterations have been made to the workplace for people with handicaps. Accessibility, transportation, workload, and salary are just some of the many issues that must be considered with the prospect of employing the handicap.

Over the years, perceptions towards disability have been significantly changing as result of the long pathway the disable community has taken fighting for Civil Rights, inclusion and against discrimination. Unfortunately, this last one has not been totally accomplished yet. Barriers to social integration still exist in the society. Perhaps the greatest barrier is not the disability itself; is the attitude of people.

Approximately 15% of the world’s population is, in a way, disabled. Whether it is a physical disability or a serious chronic disease, we have about one billion people in the world that live with a disability every day of their lives. It often occurs that these people are seen as an outcast of society; people that cannot live normal lives. It is important to realize that this is not true at all. People with disabilities are completely able to be part of the world. It is just the world’s duty to accept them.