Disabilities Are Defined as Physical and Mental Limitations - Essay Example

Many barriers a differently abled person is faced every day of his/her life. Some are physical barriers, which include a lack of access to places, transport and support services, and medical care. Then there are financial barriers like lower-wage jobs and no health insurance. To make things tougher most people with disabilities do not have adequate and appropriate information on health and support services that might be beneficial to them.

To call a person “disabled” sounds derogatory and reflects on our pride and lack of humility. It simply means we are calling ourselves ” abled”. The Smith College Office of Student Affairs issued a pamphlet that defines "ableism" as "oppression of the differently abled, by the temporarily abled." The term "differently abled" was "created to underline the concept that differently-abled individuals are just that, not less or inferior in any way..." "Ageism," according to the pamphlet, is "[o] oppression of the young and old, by young adults and the middle-aged, in the belief that others are 'incapable' or unable to take care of themselves." Disability should be perceived as an aspect of human diversity and not as an “abnormality”. Terms like” differently abled” not only aim at being politically correct but also serve to remove physical and attitudinal barriers in various aspects of life. Literature and media have forever used words and terms describing differently-abled people that have negative, de-personalizing connotations and reinforce the stigma of these people and promote the idea of summing up a person's identity with a disability that he/she has.

The sense of superiority and the illusion of power in us stems from our inflated egos because we take our lives and our living for granted. The “what –if I was –one –of –them” factor never crosses our mind. We fail to realize that our bodies are not an everlasting bunch of tissues. Each cell in our bodies has a fixed life span and if the cell dies before we do, it results in disability. The condition of wellness we presently enjoy is not permanent but just a passing phase. We are all “temporarily abled bodies” which means if we are lucky enough to live long enough, each one of us will come to face a disability which is an inevitable part of the aging and degenerative process provided we don’t meet with an accident or illness before that! Disability is an integral part of human existence and the only difference lies in the number of “disabled years” that we live. For some, it might be their entire lifetime and for others, it might be just the last few days of their existence. Indeed, most of us will experience disability in ourselves or someone close to us at some point in our lives and we too will have to reach out to others - to family, friends, neighbors, strangers, and even the government for a helping hand.
We must understand that our distance from disability closes every second we live. This may sound like a morose and debilitating statement and very pessimistic too but that should not stop us from living our lives and fulfilling our dreams in anticipation of a life of chronic pain ahead!
If we find it difficult to expand our definition of “normal” so much so that it accommodates what we call “disabled”, I think it makes more sense to call ourselves” temporarily abled”. This would place every human being on an equal platform with no obstacle to the right to fully participate in society. It would also broaden the general perspective regarding “norms” which we have established for a normal, healthy, and fulfilling existence.
Research has shown that approximately 3% of all children born globally will be uniquely different - born to this world challenged in extraordinary ways. Also, one out of five adults between the ages of 45 and 65 will experience some form of disability for an extended period, and 43 % of those over age 65 will spend a portion of their life in a nursing home.
Are we succeeding in breaking down physical barriers and integrating people with all kinds of abilities (or the lack of them) in our societies? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was a civil rights bill for people with disabilities and provided a law for the opportunity to participate fully in society. Although the government has been proactive, the barriers remain. Courts don’t have set criteria regarding disabilities, and people are not aware of their rights and are denied access to them. . By itself, the law is not the answer, it has to compound with the education of the general population. We feel we have done our part by providing wheelchairs, ramps, sign language interpreters, and Braille versions of books. This is not enough, the goal cannot be achieved unless we change our minds and hearts and value, respect, and include willingly the vast diversity in our society.
Our “normality” obsessed community is ceaselessly and desperately hunting for cures for debilitating diseases which implies there is no other way of life for a person with a disability.  Read More