Disability And The Justification Of Inequality In American History

In Nancy Mairs’ article for The New York Times, “Disability”, published in 1987, she expresses her distaste with the media's representation of handicapped people. Mairs, who struggled with multiple sclerosis herself, clearly and sharply conveys this disgust by stating, “I’m not, for instance, Ms. MS, a walking, talking embodiment of a chronic incurable degenerative disease.” (Mairs 13), and that she is actually, “the advertisers’ dream: Ms. Great American Consumer. And yet the advertisers, who determine nowadays who will get represented publicly and who will not, deny the existence of me and my kind absolutely”(Mairs 14). Mairs is greatly upset that disabled people are defined by their disabilities and, therefore, are underrepresented in public media. This might lead to one asking themselves, but why are they? And the answer, according to Mairs, is quite simple, “To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of daily life is to admit that there is something ordinary about disability itself, that it may enter anybody’s life”(Mairs 14). Mairs concludes by pointing out how this effacement could have dangerous consequences for both disabled people and, as she called everyone else, TAPs (Temporarily Abled Persons) alike. Treating disabilities as an abnormal characteristic (as opposed to viewing them “as a normal characteristic, one that complicates but does not ruin human existence” (Mairs 15)) can cause one of these repercussions, as it makes the

In the realm of critical disability studies (CDS), it is interesting to explore how the field of CDS explores the lived experience and collaboration of the disabled and non-disabled researchers that are creating the CDS literature itself. Tregaskis and Goodley uncovered the importance of recognizing this in their work on the collaboration of disabled and non-disabled researchers in CDS (2005). Tregaskis and Goodley highlight barriers that these relationships may present to the research, and identify the role that interdependence has among all CDS researchers. Interdependence among the disabled and non-disabled aims to create a foundation of equality and trust. By focusing on the commonalities and the unity of the two parties working to the

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

Douglas C. Baynton argues in his article, “Disability and the Justification of Inequality in American History”, that the concept of disability is culturally constructed and has been paid little to no attention to throughout history. He also argues that the term disability plays an important role in justifying discriminations against minority groups, based on gender, race, and ethnicity. He states that “Disability has functioned historically to justify inequality for disabled people themselves, but it has also done so for women and minority groups. That is, not only has it been considered justifiable to treat disabled people unequally, but the concept of disability has been used to justify discrimination against other groups by attributing disability to them.” (Baynton 94) He used women’s suffrage, African American freedom, and immigration restriction as examples to show how disability played an essential role in illustrating how minorities who were labeled as disabled were treated with discrimination. As they were labeled with disability, discrimination against them became justifiable, which ultimately proves that discrimination against disabled was thought as justifiable and were looked over.

Usability is a critical portion of web design that one must be ever mindful of when constructing websites. Whether creating a personal web space or building multiple pages for a large corporation, it is the burden of the designer to guarantee people can access that content. According to the United Nations, disabled people compose roughly 10 percent of the world’s population (United Nations, 2010). Many regulations and standards have been set forth to provide disabled people with the same opportunities to access content available on the World Wide Web, as it is most of the World’s population.

Many groups of people experience disenfranchisement. This paper will seek to review people experiencing disenfranchisement related to ableism in its various forms. The oppression of the disabled and the social injustices they bear will be considered, as well as the myths and stereotypes associated to the disabled. The author will seek to gain knowledge and understanding of this group of people and their functioning within our society.

In the chapter “Tiny Tims, Supercrips, and the End of Pity” of No Pity, Shapiro focuses on the stereotypes disabled people endure throughout their lifetime, a result of the systematic oppression of disabled and neurodivergent people. Similarly to race, gender, and sexual orientation, disabilities are a social construction (Wendell, 2) created by able-bodied, neurotypical people to uphold power. A goal of the Navigating Boston course is to acknowledge that disabilities exist in this society, and to recognize the needs of the disabled.

Recently, on the day of the talent show, I was asked to dance with a disabled student to a previous hit titled “Gangnam Style” by Psy. As we were practicing the dance, he started to tease me repeatedly and I wanted to say something, but I stopped myself because I knew it would not be acceptable. Although I knew he was socially challenged, I took offense to his comments and felt that he was acting inappropriately. David Birnbaum, writer of the essay, “The Catbird Seat”, which was published in the New York Times “Lives” section, argues that as a disabled person he is allowed to take advantage of his rights and has special privileges when the Americans with Disabilities Act is not fulfilled. Birnbaum’s essay discusses how he felt after becoming a quadriplegic and how the special treatment he receives equals up to what he has faced from being handicapped. Also, Birnbaum concluded his essay by describing the division between America’s social hierarchies. The writer intended to catch the minds of a more prestigious audience, particularly a group of scholars who have excess time to read the newspaper. Through personal experiences and an unapologetic tone, Birnbaum conveys his overall argument that the special privileges of the disabled community equal up to the pain and suffering they encounter on a daily basis.

Nonetheless, this is the reality of the disabled in U.S. history, just as discomfort and marginalization exist today. The 20th century contains many examples of how the disabled were abused, from the harsh restrictions for immigrants to the outright murders of disabled babies. Much of the blame for this must be laid at the door of eugenics, an unconscionable “science” seeking to promote human perfection. It is the essence or ultimate expression of the society's plain dislike of the disabled, and the ideologies behind it only further the universal bias against this population. Progress has been made and there is greater awareness today, but it remains arguable that the culture's emphasis on beauty and physical skill only perpetuates the eugenics rationale. Ultimately, the idea of eugenics itself translates to an ongoing and unconscionable marginalization of the disabled, and because the concept reduces disabled human beings to only their

The overarching topic of the book is focused on creating a new future about the concept of disability and disabled bodies. The overarching argument of the book is the idea that “disability is often seen as a future that no one wants. Furthermore, Kafer writes this book to bring a new definition of disability focusing on the political experiences of this concept. Throughout the chapters of the book, Kafer incorporates a variety of social issues that are analyzed using different theoretical principles. Some of these theoretical principles include crip theory, queer theory, and disability studies. In many chapters of the book, Kafer cites herself when she talks about her experiences as a disabled person.

America insists on keeping a strong balance of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for its citizens, no matter their race or ability to participate in what is considered a “normal” society. However, the minority race has become a social construct that essentially hinders the inalienable rights given to American citizens. Christopher Bell, author of “Blackness and Disability” assesses historical context, to analytically and articulately prove how black bodies and disabilities often get discredited. Black people relating to being angry, loud, and dangerous, and ableism, are confined to conflicts that result in a number of unjust situations, including acknowledging their disabilities. These stereotypical ideas do not allow them to operate in their fullest potential. When people see a black person, they automatically gaze over the color of their skin. As a result, African Americans will always be under a socially constructed view that puts more meaning to stereotypes. America has yet to discover that the idea of disability around the African American body remains invisible to their blackness because of the social stratification that they endure.

At the end of the Civil War, Andrew Johnson alleged our nation 's supposed investment in our veterans by claiming that “ a grateful people will not hesitate to sanction any measures having for their relief of soldiers mutilated...in an effort to preserve our national existence.” Since then, our changing perception of disabled veterans of military service has affected the success and practice of their rehabilitation. Historians and social scientists have found it difficult to understand the process of identity formation among disabled veterans. This difficulty is rooted in historian’s inability to make sense of the disabled veteran’s history, social position, and representation in culture and discourse. Historian Paul Lawrie, who argues one of many interpretations of how these veterans are represented, believes that the conflation of disability and blackness denied African-American veterans basic human rights in the time after World War II. However, as racial prejudices slowly improved over the course of the century, historians interpreted other social, political, and cultural forces as main influences of the formation of representation of these veterans. Historians have suggested that, in addition to race, social welfare policy, film, and gender have all worked in cohesion, or in conflict at times, to determine these representations.

The Disability Social History Project website is a great side were you can find information and articles pertaining to disabilities in one place. The information is well organized and easy to find. It has 11 buttons on the left-hand side with the different sections. It has information about the history of disabilities in different time periods and different disabilities. The exhibits section has different articles that talk about freak shows in the United States in 1840 through 1940, disability campaigns in the United States during the 30’s through 60’s, and the Nazis’ extermination policies for people with disabilities during the 20’s through 50’s. The people's section of this website is a great inspiration since it has stories of people

Disability has appeared frequently in recent films (Byrd & Elliot, 1988), a reflection of society’s interest in the subject. These films often misrepresent disability using stereotypes. These stereotypes reinforce negative and incorrect social perceptions of, and attitudes towards,

This week’s discussion dealt with Individuals and Disabilities. Over the years, people who have a “disability" have been subjected to prejudice and more. And the first way to diminish someone is through language, by using words or labels to identify a person as "less-than," as "the others—not like us," and so forth. Once a person has been identified this way, it makes