Women in today’s society are faced with many obstacles. When you include a disability in that, the struggles that are dealt with become even more enormous. Although there are various resources available, women with disabilities face higher poverty rates compounded with different forms of discrimination as well. The struggle as a woman without a disability is a very difficult one already, but when other factors are added, such as a disability and being poor as well, the struggles become overwhelming. This is true in the story “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen. Emily has conquered many obstacles with the help of her loving, yet brutally honest mother. Living with a physical disability changes the life of a person. These people are looked down upon because they are perceived to be different. There are many different things that are seen, for example, walking different or not at all, talking different, equipment that needs to be used, for example a wheelchair, arm or leg braces/splints, or a “slow physical development”(Olsen, 319). Being different from “normal” people becomes an obstacle that becomes so huge that many people with a disability are unable to overcome it. This begins as small forms of abuse, like being made fun of or neglected and eventually into larger forms of abuse. According to Dena Hassouneh-Phillips, Ph.D. and Elizabeth McNeff, MPA:HA: The social stigma and isolation that often accompany physical disability reduced women’s emotional defenses by lowering self-esteem and removing emotional and instrumental support from others. Moreover, disability reduced physical defenses by limiting escape options and creating the need for assistance with essential personal care, opening up opportunities for emotional, ph... ... middle of paper ... ... women with disabilities.” Disability and Rehabilitation, 2009, 31(9), 693-700. EbscoHost. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. Nosek, M. et al. “National Study of Women with Physical Disabilities: Final Report.” Sexuality and Disability, 2001, 19, 5-10. EbscoHost. Web. 18 Apr. 2011 Olsen, Tillie. “I Stand Here Ironing.” Literature and the Writing Process. McMahan, Elizabeth et al. Boston: Longman, 2010, 315-320. Print. Summers, Will et al. “Ready, Willing, and Able.” 2010. Qualityinfo.org. Web. 18 Apr. 2011 United States. U.S. Census Bureau. 2009. Web. 18 Apr. 2011 “U.S. Data on Disability Income, Housing Costs, and People with Mental Illness.” 2010. Disabled World. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. Zitzelsberger, Hilde. “(In)visibility: accounts of embodiment of women with physical disabilities and differences.” Disability and Society,2005, 20(4), 389-403. EbscoHost. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
As human beings, we like to make sure never to offend or judge anyone. We even have sayings like “never judge a book by its cover”. A metaphor that is often said whenever trying not to judge someone based on their outward appearance; however, it is not often that people practice what they preach. We judge people based on external factors within seconds. Even though we know what people see on the outside is not a defining factor or who we are as people. Nancy Mairs, author of On Being a Cripple, has to live through this every day. She knows this truth very well, and lives proudly with the fact that as she is disabled. Mairs is admirable for choosing to call herself a “cripple” and not be ashamed of it. Though the word is derogatory and a word that is avoided by society, Mairs identifies herself as a cripple because that is what she is. In explaining her disability, she says, “I haven’t always been crippled, ... to be whole of limb is ... infinitely more pleasant and useful. and if that knowledge leaves me open to bitterness … the physical soundness I once enjoyed is well worth the occasional stab of regret” (Mairs 186). What really
Disability, a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movement, senses, or activities. Lisa I. Iezzonis’ reading “Stand Out” depicts a rather stimulating framework of how the disability is seen and treated. The relationship between health, illness, and narrative in this reading marks the idea of discrimination of disability through her own life events by separation of identity, people. The author employs repeated phrases, metaphors and perspectives to display this. The form of literature is written and told in the form of the first-person perspective short story but in storytelling form.
Gender has been broadly used within the humanities and social sciences as both a means to categories dissimilarities, and as a logical concept to give details differences. In both the humanities and social sciences. Disability studies has appeared partly as a result of challenges to give details gendered experience of disability and partly as a challenge to contemporary feminist theory on gender which fails to take description of disability. Disabled people have frequently been standing for as without gender, as asexual creatures, as freaks of nature, hideous, the ‘Other’ to the social norm. In this way it may be taking for granted that for disabled people gender has little bearing. However, the image of disability may be make physically powerful by gender - for women a sense of intensified passivity and helplessness, for men a dishonesties masculinity make by put into effected dependence. Moreover these images have real consequences in terms of
Disability is a ‘complex issue’ (Alperstein, M., Atkins, S., Bately, K., Coetzee, D., Duncan, M., Ferguson, G., Geiger, M. Hewett, G., et al.., 2009: 239) which affects a large percentage of the world’s population. Due to it being complex, one can say that disability depends on one’s perspective (Alperstein et al., 2009: 239). In this essay, I will draw on Dylan Alcott’s disability and use his story to further explain the four models of disability being The Traditional Model, The Medical Model, The Social Model and The Integrated Model of Disability. Through this, I will reflect on my thoughts and feelings in response to Dylan’s story as well as to draw on this task and my new found knowledge of disability in aiding me to become
Olsen, T. (1953-54). I stand here ironing. In K. Mays (Ed.). (2013). The Norton introduction to literature (pp. 814-820). New York: W. W. Norton.
What comes into one’s mind when they are asked to consider physical disabilities? Pity and embarrassment, or hope and encouragement? Perhaps a mix between the two contrasting emotions? The average, able-bodied person must have a different perspective than a handicapped person, on the quality of life of a physically disabled person. Nancy Mairs, Andre Dubus, and Harriet McBryde Johnson are three authors who shared their experiences as physically handicapped adults. Although the three authors wrote different pieces, all three essays demonstrate the frustrations, struggles, contemplations, and triumphs from a disabled person’s point of view and are aimed at a reader with no physical disability.
In her article “Unspeakable Conversations” author Harriet McBryde Johnson took time to inform and familiarize her readers with the details and limitations placed upon her by her disability. In her article she walked her readers through her morning routine. She told them about the assistance she needs in the morning from transferring from bed to wheelchair, to morning stretches, to bathing, to dressing, to braiding her hair. She does this not to evoke pity but to give her readers a glimpse into her world. She wants her readers to know that the quality of a disabled person’s life relies solely on another’s willingness to assist. Because those with disabilities need assistance they are often viewed as burdens. Therefore, they see themselves as
In this work Nancy Mairs, a woman with multiple sclerosis, discusses why she calls herself a cripple as opposed to the other names used by society to describe people with disabilities. She prefers the word “cripple” over the words “disabled” and “handicapped”. Nancy Mairs presents herself as a cripple using a straightforward tone, negative diction, repetition, and logical/ethical appeal.
Women with disabilities are seldom represented in popular culture. Movies, television shows ,and novels that attempt to represent people within the disability community fall short because people that are not disabled are writing the stories. Susan Nussbaum has a disability. She advocates for people with disabilities and writes stories about characters with disabilities . She works to debunk some of the stereotypes about women with disabilities in popular culture. Women with disabilities are stereotyped as being sexually undesirable individuals , that are not capable of living normal lives, that can only be burdens to mainstream society, and often sacrifice themselves.Through examining different female characters with disabilities, Nussbaum 's novel Good Kings Bad Kings illustrates how the stereotypes in popular culture about women with disabilities are not true.
It could be said that in modern industrial society, disability is still widely regarded as a tragic individual failing, in which its “victims” require care, sympathy and medical diagnosis. Whilst medical science has served to improve and enhance the quality of life for many, it could be argued that it has also led to further segregation and separation of many individuals. This could be caused by its insistence on labelling one as “sick”, “abnormal” or “mental”. Consequently, what this act of labelling and diagnosing has done, is enforce the societal view that a disability is an abnormality that requires treatment and that any of its “victims” should do what is required to be able to function in society as an able bodied individual. The social model of disability argues against this and instead holds the view that it is society, not the individual, that needs to change and do what is required, so that everyone can function in society.
Life for the disabled can be difficult physically, emotionally, and financially. Donley Jones talked about his hardships as a disabled American worker in a personal interview on November 25, 2004. However, there have been several legislative changes in the United States, which have put forth the opportunities that many poverty and lower level families have needed to move to higher grounds financially. Cleaver states that there have been many laws and acts put forth by congress to make this move easier for disabled Americans. Donley, a 37 year old janitor at the Johnson City Mall, is legally blind. Donley talks of the prejudices that left him and his family in poverty. He talks of his struggle to provide for his family and how hard it was to get out of poverty. Donley remembers not knowing how he would ever be able to provide opportunities for his children, such as putting them through college, with his income. Donley tells of how he believes the government had a lot to do with his ability to move his family out of poverty.
In the essay “Disability,” Nancy Mairs discusses the lack of media attention for the disabled, writing: “To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of life is to admit that there is something ordinary about disability itself, that it may enter anyone’s life.” An ordinary person has very little exposure to the disabled, and therefore can only draw conclusions from what is seen in the media. As soon as people can picture the disabled as regular people with a debilitating condition, they can begin to respect them and see to their needs without it seeming like an afterthought or a burden. As Mairs wrote: “The fact is that ours is the only minority you can join involuntarily, without warning, at any time.” Looking at the issue from this angle, it is easy to see that many disabled people were ordinary people prior to some sort of accident. Mairs develops this po...
For many years people have fought for equal rights and they are still fighting to win this battle. Also, people are still fighting to win the battle of discrimination and inequality. This paper will discuss discrimination of students with disabilities and the unequal treatment of women.
French, S. & Swain, J. 2008. Understanding Disability: A Guide for Health Professionals. Philadelphia: Churchilll Livingstone Elsevier: 4
Every day in America, a woman loses a job to a man, a homosexual high school student suffers from harassment, and someone with a physical or mental disability is looked down upon. People with disabilities make up the world’s largest and most disadvantaged minority, with about 56.7 million people living with disabilities in the United States today (Barlow). In every region of the country, people with disabilities often live on the margins of society, deprived from some of life’s fundamental experiences. They have little hope of inclusion within education, getting a job, or having their own home (Cox). Everyone deserves a fair chance to succeed in life, but discrimination is limiting opportunities and treating people badly because of their disability. Whether born from ignorance, fear, misunderstanding, or hate, society’s attitudes limit people from experiencing and appreciating the full potential a person with a disability can achieve. This treatment is unfair, unnecessary, and against the law (Purdie). Discrimination against people with disabilities is one of the greatest social injustices in the country today. Essential changes are needed in society’s basic outlook in order for people with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to succeed in life.