The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A Good Start

1077 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Discrimination against the disabled

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9). Prejudices exist in every measure, against every person, and everywhere across the world. People are inclined to judge without reason, and often hold conviction to the initial judgment made. Despite worldwide attempts to decrease these preconceptions, people must suffer through being the target on very frequent occasions. In the U.S., occurred the Civil Rights Movement as well as the movement to end Women’s Suffrage. This did not eliminate all biases against those groups, nor did the Americans with Disabilities Act. People are still isolated because of physical differences, such as disabilities. Some people may disagree, but the ways to victimize are more abundant than just abusive treatment. These ways include the constant evasion of a person, the exclusion of someone from some activity, as well as the change in manner towards them. These seem to be the most common responses for people with disabilities to receive. In fact, people who have disabilities may face the most discrimination by use of these types of oppressions. Within countless conversations exists the term normal. Normalcy is a standard by which people determine whether others have positive or negative peculiarities. The term different is as commonly used, but when something is different from the normal, it has a challenging time being accepted. Unfortunately, those with disabilities are not ordinarily encompassed in the idea of what is normal. Thus, individuals who have disabilities are trapped in a “normal world,” a “normal world” where they must endure the impatience, ignoranc... ... middle of paper ... ...ericans with Disabilities Act." US EEOC Home Page. Web. 24 Feb. 2012. . "It Happens More Often than You'd Imagine:." Disability Statistics; Chance of Becoming Disabled. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. . "People With Disabilities - Living in a "Normal World"" About.com Arthritis & Joint Conditions. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. . "Proverbs 31:8-9." ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008. Print. Williams, Rachel. "Poll Reveals Widespread Discrimination against People with Learning Disabilities." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 14 July 2010. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. .

Show More
Related

  • Downtown Disney Case Study

    1788 Words  | 4 Pages

    The young girl appeared to be developmentally delayed, and the two middle-aged women engaged in conversation while pushing her. When the young girl attempted to speak to the two women, her attempt at contributing to their conversation appeared to be ignored by the two women as they continued talking to one another. Because of her mental disability, she seems to be treated as childish and does not appear to be taken seriously by the two women (Johnson, 2006, p. 31), who appear more interested in each other than they do in listening to the mentally handicapped girl that they are caring for. This interaction in addition to several others seem congruent with the belief that stereotypes of disabled individuals “reportedly get in the way of full participation in… social life” (Wendell, 1996, p. 61). It appeared that nondisabled individuals would only engage with the disabled individuals if they appeared to need help of some sort, appeared to lose something or spoke directly to the nondisabled person involved in the interaction. Otherwise, nondisabled individuals and caregivers appeared to treat disabled individuals as burdensome, unimportant, or even invisible. This was particularly evident during an interaction between an elderly man in a wheelchair and a middle-aged man in a green shirt. Throughout the course of their interaction, the middle-aged man rarely spoke to the man in the wheelchair and spent more time speaking with a park employee and another guest. Additionally, there were several significant periods of time during which he would leave the man in the wheelchair alone. His actions seemed to show a lack of interest in interacting with the man in the wheelchair, as he spent less time speaking with him than he did speaking to others or leaving him completely

    Read More

  • Kathie Snow: People First Language

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kathie Snow believed that other people’s attitude towards others is the greatest obstacle facing people with disabilities. According to Kathie Snow (2010), “The real problem is never a person’s disability, but the attitudes of others! A change in our attitudes leads to changes in our actions. Attitudes drive actions” (P. 2). I completely agree with Kathie Snow in this regard because this is more than just language; it is the attitudes we have towards

    Read More

  • Nancy Mairs, Andre Dubus, Harriet McBryde Johnson: Disability

    1916 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Harriet Mcbryde Johnson And John Hockenberry's Disability

    1109 Words  | 3 Pages

    Disability and reactions to those who are disabled are socially constructed, and vary from generation to generation and from culture to culture. As these precepts change and alter with time and knowledge how we treat those who are labeled as disabled evolves- sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. Harriet McBryde Johnson’s and John Hockenberry’s experiences are all too familiar. The challenges faced by these two individuals many times were not with the disability itself, but was from how the world responded to them. Harriet McBryde Johnson had many of her work colleagues unaware and unbelieving of a dire prognosis because of how she personally handled life, how integrated she was with the world around her. Her experience in Cuba

    Read More

  • disabilities in america

    564 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ies. 80% of mortality of children with disabilities in america in states where overall. The mortality is below 20%. Violence against disabled kids occur at annual rates. 5%of individuals lives are spent with disabilities with life expectations of over seventy years. Ninety percent of individuals with intellectual impairments will experience sexual abuse according to a study by New international now(2013).

    Read More

  • disability

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Historically, we have been taught that people with disabilities are different and do not belong among us, because they are incompetent, cannot contribute to society or that they are dangerous. We’re still living with the legacy of people with disabilities being segregated, made invisible, and devalued. The messages about people with disabilities need to be changed. There needs to be more integration of people with disabilities into our culture to balance out the message. Because of our history of abandonment and initialization, fear and stigma impact our choices more than they would if acceptance, community integration, and resources were a bigger part of our history.

    Read More

  • Service User Involvement and Participation

    2635 Words  | 6 Pages

    Shakespeare, T. (1993) Disabled people's self-organisation: a new social movement?, Disability, Handicap & Society, 8, pp. 249-264 .

    Read More

  • Essay On Equality And Diversity In Health Care

    855 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is quite certain to say that discrimination can be deadly and can deprive a person from living a normal and happy life. Especially those with disability. Therefore, it is important for discriminatory practices to be avoided and dealt properly ones reported.. If these effects are dealt properly ,long term effects can be eliminated.

    Read More

  • Disability Social Model

    109 Words  | 1 Pages

    The social model defines disability as a social construct that creates unwanted barriers for individuals, and a public concern, (Smart & Smart, 2006). Examples of these barriers include “inaccessible education systems, working environments, inadequate disability benefits, discriminatory health and social support services, inaccessible transport, houses and public buildings and amenities, and the devaluing of disabled people through negative images in the media, (Thomas, 2007, p. 13). Swain, et al (1993), states that “disability is not a condition of the individual. The experiences of disabled people are of social restrictions in the world around them, not being a person with a ‘disabling condition,’” (as cited by Lutz & Bowers, 2003).

    Read More

  • Labor Market Discrimination Against People With Disabilities In The Workplace Case Study

    1530 Words  | 4 Pages

    Research Hypothesis: Researchers predict that since there are so many perceived ideas as to what people with disabilities can and cannot do, that is the underlying reason why the group is judged so heavily. In the study there are three variables that were tested: characteristics of the persons filling the complaint, employer characteristics, and the type of allegation that specifies what discriminatory actions

    Read More

  • Medical and Social Models of Disability

    1847 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Medical And Social Model Of Disability

    1101 Words  | 3 Pages

    Because of the ambiguity of the definition, there is a requirement to have the social model to help to provide the answers. As the social model illustrates how the social institutions, labels, and stereotypes impact the perceived abilities of a disabled person, it is shown that the definitions of what is “normal”, “good”, and “functional” all come from the current society in which the person lives. Additionally, as culture and these definitions change with time and new ideologies and technological advances, what defines a disabled person will also change with time. This is also true across cultures as there may be different requirements to be considered “functional” or in good health in other cultures. For instance, a man unable to walk may not be as hindered in his freedom of movement if he is only required to stay in a small local area, such as a village, in comparison to a large city. However, it is also important to point out that the social model requires the medical model as well because the social model fails to focus on the individual at a more micro level. A person may see others in a similar circumstance and react in a different

    Read More

  • Disability Rights Essay

    1258 Words  | 3 Pages

    Disability: Any person who has a mental or physical deterioration that initially limits one or more major everyday life activities. Millions of people all over the world, are faced with discrimination, the con of being unprotected by the law, and are not able to participate in the human rights everyone is meant to have. For hundreds of years, humans with disabilities are constantly referred to as different, retarded, or weird. They have been stripped of their basic human rights; born free and are equal in dignity and rights, have the right to life, shall not be a victim of torture or cruelty, right to own property, free in opinion and expression, freedom of taking part in government, right in general education, and right of employment opportunities. Once the 20th century

    Read More

  • Understanding the Disabled

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Discrimination Against People With Disabilities

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    People with disabilities often face societal barriers and disability evokes negative perceptions and discrimination in society. As a result of the stigma associated with disability, persons with disabilities are generally excluded from education, employment, and community life, which deprives them of opportunities essential to their social development, health and well-being (Stefan). It is such barriers and discrimination that actually set people apart from society, in many cases making them a burden to the community. The ideas and concepts of equality and full participation for persons with disabilities have been developed very far on paper, but not in reality (Wallace). The government can make numerous laws against discrimination, but this does not change the way that people with disabilities are judged in society.

    Read More

More about The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A Good Start

Open Document