Stricken by Disability
With the many forms of disability, individuals with disability often go through life as if they were climbing through an obstacle course on a daily basis. Disability remains being regularly looked upon as a sad incidence but on the other hand, some individuals see it as an extraordinary gift of identity. Portraying disability as a sad occurrence is ignorant and individuals who perceive it as such are unconscious toward those with disabilities. Is society truly considerate of the many different forms of disability or is it something people avoid such as going to the dentist. Articles such as, Becoming Disabled by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Calling Long Distance by Molly McCully Brown, and Lost (and found) in Translation
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by Susannah Nevison, are significantly trying to bring awareness of the misrepresentation of diasbailities. People with disabilities are similar in numerous ways; nonetheless, they experience their personal challenges due to the element of differences within their disabilities. They not only deal with the challenges of their disabilities, but furthermore the challenges of uneducated individuals in society. Questions are repeatedly being presented to individuals with disabilities in an uneducated fashion.
Education certainly falls short when it pertains to having conversations with individuals that subsequently have a disability. Foolish questions are raised without thinking about the feelings of others. Three resilient ladies, who have disabilities themselves have been stricken with questions such as “So, what is it that’s wrong with you?”, “What happened to you?”, and ‘Were you in some kind of accident?” (Brown, Nevison, Nevison). Even statements that appear so innocent keep being revealed. Rosemarie Garland-Thomson said a respectable friend of hers once said “I don’t think of you as disabled.” She revealed that her friend did not say it to be rude but that it “was meant as a compliment.” Questions originate into several minds on why individuals are not educated adequately about the forms of disabilities and in what way to talk and approach somebody with a disability. Brown mentions how she endures the pain and maintains a conventional face at an office party just to refrain from being presented with an abundance of questions. Why is everyone unconcerned about disabilities and the change that society can make as a whole? Receiving more education within the school system regarding disabilities, programs throughout the community, and kindness can altogether go a long …show more content…
way. During the construction of most public spaces individuals with disability are not taken into consideration.
As a result, challenges are presented on day-to-day occasions to individuals with a disability, which is also disabling them even further. According to Garland-Thomson, “I certainly recognized that the world was built for what I call the fully fingered, not for my body.” Sadly, when things are being constructed and arranged society does not think of individuals with disabilities. Most of the challenges encountered are due to individuals who have abilities. Brown, was not capable to maneuver her wheelchair into the building of her office party. This inconvenience for her caused the sensation of hot blades stabbing the entirety of her body. Enjoying herself was simply impossible since her colleagues arranged the party around their abilities and not Browns disability. Instead of utilizing her device that was created to assist her with her pain and challenges; she was relying on walls and furniture to support her aching body. Numerous grocery stores, retail stores, restaurants, movie theatres, and communities are not easily accessible to individuals with disabilities. Rosemarie Garland-Thomson states “as we manage our bodies in environments not built for them, the social barrier can sometimes be more awkward than the physical ones.” Constructing a world where unalike disabilities and abilities are met should be a
priority. Disabilities come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. Some disabilities can be covered up such as Nevisons however, some are visible to the eye such as Brown and Garland-Thomson. Rosemarie Garland-Thomson states, “Disabilities growth areas – if you will – include diagnostic categories such as depression, anxiety disorders, anorexia, cancers, traumatic brain injuries, attention-deficit disorder, autoimmune disease, spinal cord injuries, autistic spectrum disabilities and dementia.” This was a great informational list from Garland-Thomson representing the many forms of disabilities. Molly Brown suffers with cerebral palsy, which is a neurological disorder. She was born premature and her brain was deprived of oxygen, which resulted in her disability that she has today. Walking for long periods of times is a struggle for her. However, Susannah Nevison was born with bilateral club foot, leg-length discrepancy, and congenital birth defects. Her disability can be hidden. She states, “I could put disability away like a costume; I could take it on and off.” Garland-Thomson was born with deformities with both of her hands and arm. Individuals need to be considerate of others and become knowledgeable about different forms of disabilities. Just because it is not visible does not mean one does not exist. Empowering disability as an extraordinary identity besides an unpleasant trip to the dentist would be a dream for some. Conveying extra education, additional movements, and awareness might influence change on the position that others have concerning disabilities. The willingness to understand is undoubtedly not on the top of others grocery list though. Making individuals feel as though they can accomplish anything they desire would be an exceptional gift. Disability movements should be supported equally just as black lives matter and gay pride movements.
She told her readers that she has a muscle-wasting disease and she could only move three fingers on her right hand. She wrote that the reactions she got from most people were “Decidedly negative” (Johnson p.98) She wrote that she would hear thing such as “I admire you for being out; most people would give up.” And “You don’t let the pain hold you back do you?” (Johnson p.98) There is often talk about how popular culture teaches people to both see and not see the people with disabilities. Comments such as these are an example of such blindness. When a child sees a disabled person a parent’s first reaction would be to tell them not to stare. We teach children that it is impolite to be curious about people who live life differently than others. We carry the “its-not-polite-to-stare” idea into adult hood therefore when we come across a disabled we try not to make eye contact not as if we are being rude but because we are taught that it would offend them. All curiosity and attempts to understand are shut down at a young age for fear of offending someone. Therefore, any attempt to encourage is met with a deep misunderstanding of how the life of someone with disabilities truly works. Just because a person has a disability does not mean they are incapable of enjoying
Most people feel relatively uncomfortable when they meet someone with an obvious physical disability. Usually, the disability seems to stand out in ones mind so much that they often forget the person is still a person. In turn, their discomfort is likely to betray their actions, making the other person uncomfortable too. People with disabilities have goals, dreams, wants and desires similar to people without disabilities. Andre Dubus points out very clearly in his article, "Why the Able-bodied Still Don't Get It," how people's attitudes toward "cripples" effect them. It's is evident that although our society has come a long way with excepting those with physical disabilities, people do not understand that those with physical disabilities are as much human as the next person
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.
Nancy Mairs article, “Disability” (1987), explains that the world is trying to block out the fact that disability is known to be everywhere and how companies and commercial advertisers are trying to not show disabled people on their commercials so that is shows that everyone can use their product besides disabled persons. Mairs doesn 't believe this though, she believes that advertisers are scared 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
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
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
In” Disabling Imagery in the media “Barnes asserts,“Disabled people are rarely shown as integral and productive members of the community; as students, as teachers, as part of the work-force or as parents. “(11). Popular culture excludes women with disabilities because they are different. Through Joanne’s character, Nussbaum demonstrates how women with disabilities operate in their daily lives.Nussbaum description of Joanne’s daily routine shows that women with Nussbaum 's character Joanne also demonstrates how women with disabilities are not burdens on
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
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.
We are born into our ethnicity, race, gender, and culture. They are a part of who we are when we enter this world. One of the few diversities that may be acquired later on in our lives is disability. All of us, regardless of where we come from, what we believe, or who we are, can be afflicted with some form of disability in our life time through disease, accident, or other conditions that render us incapable of caring for ourselves in the same way that was possible before. This knowledge creates fear and is one of the primary reasons for the prejudice and stigma our society places on the disabled. The process of recognizing this fear, becoming knowledgeable, and culturally aware, is the ideal for individuals moving towards cultural competence, However; for those who are able to move past these prejudices, other biases await them. The well-meaning who overcompensate by solicitous and over protecting behaviors may be just as harmful as those whose bias creates prejudice.
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.
Disability is defined as a long term condition that restricts an individual’s daily activities (Government of Western Australia Department of Communities, n.d.). A disability can be identified in numerous types which are physical, sensory neurological and psychiatric. Due to the assistance with appropriate aids and services, the restrictions experienced by individuals with a disability may be overcome. However, the ways society perceives disability may have a significant impact on individuals living with it and also families around them. Therefore, the aim of this essay is to reflect on the social construction of disability through examining the social model of disability and how it may impact on the lives of people living with disability.
The first thought that crosses the mind of an able-bodied individual upon seeing a disabled person will undoubtedly pertain to their disability. This is for the most part because that is the first thing that a person would notice, as it could be perceived from a distance. However, due to the way that disability is portrayed in the media, and in our minds, your analysis of a disabled person rarely proceeds beyond that initial observation. This is the underlying problem behind why disabled people feel so under appreciated and discriminated against. Society compartmentalizes, and in doing so places the disabled in an entirely different category than fully able human beings. This is the underlying theme in the essays “Disability” by Nancy Mairs, “Why the Able-Bodied Just Don’t Get it” by Andre Dubus, and “Should I Have Been Killed at Birth?” by Harriet Johnson.
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.
People with disabilities are still people, they are people with hearts and they are actual physical beings; people with disabilities do their best to live every day to their fullest, yet that is still not enough for others. I feel like as a whole, humans are generally uncomfortable with people who have disabilities. Let’s think of it this way, people live their life every day in their normal lives and then they come across a person with a disability and suddenly their life is interrupted, like it is such a barrier in their flow of life to come across someone different from themselves.