The Is A Matter Of Perception

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

We are constantly being influenced by the world around us, and this reflects our attitudes and approach even towards persons with disability. I found “The Butterfly Circus” to be a very powerful video, it is able to convey multiple messages and approach various issues within our society. It shows that negative public attitudes and awkwardness about disability prevail, despite the fact that disability advocates are working to change the society’s perception of such individuals. I believe that Society has a strong impact toward people with disabilities. This tendency confronted by many, can lead to psychological consequences.

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 video “Inclusion, belonging, and the disability revolution” (TEDTalks, 2014), speaker Jennie Fenton opens with describing situations where people with disabilities are segregated and excluded from their communities, sent to live together away from society, or even treated as lesser humans. She then proceeds to introduce her family, including her six-year-old daughter that was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Jennie admits to previously having negative or frightened thoughts about having a child with a disability, but with her “seven realizations,” she learned that her daughter was merely on a different path than others, but that no one should ever feel broken or not a whole person (TEDTalks, 2014). After she explains that there are roughly one billion people with a disability throughout the world, Jennie states that she believes in possibility over disability. If a person’s

Stories become a great influence on people as they view other people either on television or through a book as they explain their struggles or experiences. They should not view them as a negative perspective because of the media. In the article, “ Slippery Slopes: Media, Disability, and Adaptive Sport,” the author William Peace notes how the media shows disability out as “something to be miraculously and inspirationally ‘overcome’ with real consequences”(Peace 676). When taking a gander at somebody with an incapacity, people tend to believe that they are not ready to do the things that individuals with abled bodies can, which is false. While having an incapacity there are approaches to work around things. People don't have to surrender and

In the article, “How to Speak Asperger’s,” by Fran Goldfarb and Guthrie Devine, the authors contend that learning to communicate with people with Asperger’s Syndrome is an important skill. The authors introduce the article by providing a narrative about Goldfarb’s son. The point of her narrative is that communication is misunderstood with people with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). The author, Fran Goldfarb, explains how her son misunderstands communication with his teachers, and how punishment is ineffective, because of his Asperger’s. The authors start by explaining why communication is very complex. To begin with, people with AS struggle with communication, because of their lack of social cues. They tend to miss irony, humor, and they take everything literally. That’s why people with AS don’t understand communication and everything is a struggle for them.

Did you know that over 2 million kids have a disabilities just in the United States. It is sad because some of these kids they don’t get to have a normal life like us. It is sad for some kids because they don’t get a normal life, it is hard for them to make friends, and a daily task for us is difficult task for them. Throughout history the treatment of disabilities has been since the early 1800s .

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

Displayed in the media to this day are people shown with disabilities. These people are wrongly perceived by society as heroes or sensations. Instead of focusing on that, we should focus on how they are able to overcome the disability during their daily lives. A very trusted author and professor of journalism, Charles A Riley, wrote a book called “Disability and the Media: Prescriptions for Change”. After carefully analyzing this text from Everything’s an Argument, it is clear that Riley wants to adjust the way society views people with disabilities. He is against the fact that people with disabilities are not known for who they really are. I agree with Riley’s stance and can feel what he is expressing throughout his text.

Christopher is diagnosed with the mental disorder Asperger’s syndrome. The disorder causes him to have difficulty in socializing with others. Due to his mental condition, Christopher can not understand facial expressions or emotions. Neither, does he like to have eye contact or chat with others especially strangers, because Christopher’s ability to understand sarcasm and jokes is limited. Christopher says himself that ‘[he] can’t do chatting’ (page 70). Most of his statements are based on logical deductions.

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 his book, Look Me in the Eye, author John Elder Robison offers a satisfying and thought-provoking memoir of a man growing up conflicted with Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s, as we have come to understand it, is an autism spectrum disorder distinguished by a pattern of indicators including qualitative deficiency in social interaction, by stereotyped and controlled patterns of behavior, activities and interests, and by no significant clinical delay in intellectual development or language. According to Robison, Asperger’s is not a disease that requires a cure, but rather one that requires understanding on behalf of others. Robison seeks to change the perception of readers and encourage understanding through a detailed overview of his life,

In the United States alone over fifty-six million people, or nineteen percent of the population, struggles with disabilities. Each one is unique, ranging from mild to intense, physical or mental, to even behavioral. The way society views this group is as though the handicapped are inferior to others. The aforementioned viewpoint has made terminology such as “retarded” or “slow” second nature in an average American’s vocabulary. It is unjust and has no right in modern civilization.

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.