My Experiences With Disability And Disability

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

As for my personal encounter of individual with a disability; the grew up around a cousin who was with brain damage, as a kid I would go over to aunt’s home and sit with him and read books; I would massage his hands and feet because he would have seizures and I would see my aunt doing it so I just picked up on what the adults were doing and try to help out. Even though he could not talk I felt he could hear what I was saying because one time I was reading a book called “Henrietta Hippo” and I would act the scenes and whenever I made the sound of the hippo he would look at me and make a funny sound like he was trying to repeat what I was doing.

If a child has a disability that restricts movement or requires them to use a wheelchair they will find it a lot harder to participate in the same activities as other children. This exclusion means that they will find it more challenging to develop relationships than their peers. If a child requires a wheelchair children may see them as different and may not want to interact with them in the same way they would with others. Consequently, they may find that they are being treated differently to other children. This will therefore harm the child’s social development and lower their self-esteem.

I never put too much thought into the reaction I give if someone tells me their child has a disability therefore, never noticed if they showed distaste to any apology or sympathy I offered. I’m sure that I am not the only one who has not meant any harm by these things, but the article helps see the situation from the opposing parent’s point of view which offers enlightenment on how to handle future encounters to ensure everyone is comfortable and the language isn’t ignominious. I intend to utilize the wisdom I’ve learned from Ms. Snow’s article in my own classroom one day. Along with her words I now feel inclined to do further research on how to better create lessons, organize my classroom, and provide the proper tools as well as become a support system for any student with any kind of disability both learning and

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.

Individuals with developmental disabilities face many problem in our society due to our low expectations that we have for them. Yes they do have problems, but just like everyone else they have their strengths and weaknesses. There may be things that I’m not good at, but I still have the ability to find a good paying job that involves my strengths. By looking at the two essays, For Hire: Dedicated Young Man With Down Syndrome and An Inside View of Autism I was able to see how much our society discriminates against their unique features. We should focus on each person’s strengths rather then generalizing about all individuals with developmental disabilities.

In the past, having a disability was seen as a physical imperfection. People with disabilities were treated as moral and social subordinates. We were trained that if a person had a disability they were not able to perform a task with the same ability as a normal person. They have been denied jobs for which they are highly qualified because they have been considered incompetent, or because employers were not comfortable with their presence in the workplace. Occasionally people with certain disabilities have been committed to institutions and facilities because people believed they were incapable of making decisions or caring for themselves or because people did not want to interact with them (Blanck, 2004).

Over the year’s perceptions and attitudes towards people with disabilities have varied from community to community. Approximately 50 million Americans with disabilities today lead independent, confident, and happy lives. There have been many advancements in healthcare and thus, most disabled individuals live within their community rather than an institution. For many centuries people with disabilities have been battling harmful stereotypes, ridiculous assumptions, and fear that they do not fit in.

I learned many things while reading this article. A couple of the many things I learned in this article include the idea that there is not “a universally-accepted definition for disability” and that “[o]ld, inaccurate descriptors and the inappropriate use of medical diagnoses perpetuate negative stereotypes and reinforce a significant and incredibly powerful attitudinal barrier.”

During my time in clinical, I have learned to deal with different types of people. This differences include gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, different ethnicities, people with disabilities, and age. Just last week I had to deal with an older difficult patient. From the moment I called this patient’s name I notice she was very snappy and she immediately answered with a loud voice “What!”, I told her I was going to take her back for her x-rays, but before I could begin to push her wheelchair, she was already yelling and directing me on how she wanted her wheelchair pushed and the direction she wanted me to go. Every step I took she kept telling me to be careful and she kept screaming, “You are going to hurt me”. I stayed calm and told her I

As a psychologist and a person with a disability with chronic pain I can only suggest going to see an psychiatrists to help you. Believe my, life in a wheelchair is challenging enough. People can unknowingly be mean and yes, knowingly as well. Sometimes, some need medication to help them with severe mood swings.

The biggest obstacle in creating a society that is accessible to those with disabilities is complacency. We must “make trouble” in a sense to disrupt the institutions that keep people with disabilities unable to fully participate in society. People do want to talk about it, because that reminds them that there is an injustice in which they have turned a blind eye. I’ve heard a lot of talk recently about “safe spaces”, and how they are ultimately damaging because ideas and beliefs are challenged, and people are coddled. While I vehemently disagree with this viewpoint, even if you do, it glosses over the fact that a need for safe spaces would not be present if society allowed diverse people to exist and live comfortably. This is why we must

When I was born, I had a stroke which caused the loss of fine motor control in my right arm and foot. Due to my disability, my family moved from Florida to Virginia to Georgia in a span of two years. This was mainly due to the constant appointments with medical specialists. Despite the countless appointments, the doctors didn’t know how bad my condition would be. Many said that only time would tell and even more said I would probably not be able to walk unassisted for the rest of my life. During my early childhood, my parents prayed a lot and I was baptized. I then spent my entire childhood in physical, occupational, and speech therapy. While in Georgia (age 2-8), I didn’t really see myself as different. None of my friends asked me about my disability so I thought nothing of it. I went to Sunday school every Sunday and believed in God. I saw my life like everybody else.

For everyone who wants to know what it is like to wake up every day with a disability which cannot change it sucks. But hey, I’m alive. I still have two arms, two legs and a proudly ticking heart that isn’t giving up. One which isn’t letting the bullies get to me, one which will stand tall above it all.

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.