Social Division and Visible Disability Railway, bus and minibus are the most used transportations in Hong Kong, with millions of commuters everyday. Despite the different measures implemented by government and private enterprises to enhance accessibility of facilities, a minority group of disabled people still not able to utilize the public transportation system as unrestrictedly as other able-bodied citizens. Personally, I have experienced situations and witnessed cases that people with disability having significant difficulty in entering the transports or on board. For instance, I accompanied my grandfather, who was a wheelchair user and suffered from stroke, to see the doctor by train. There was stair-lift at our designated exit. Asides …show more content…
According to The Disability Discrimination Ordinance, visible disability is defined as one's loss or malfunction of bodily capacities, including diseases, disorders, and injuries. These inherent attachments may affect one’s capability of participating in social and individual activities. Therefore, a specific division is formed - people of able-bodied and the disabled. For instance, a wheelchair user (my grandfather) versus the staff; the sightless lady versus my own self. Due to present medical technological limitation, this classification tends to be enduring and substantial, some sectors may even be permanently …show more content…
Consequently, a vicious cycle could be formed. In order to resolve this oppression situation, changing mentality and eliminating misunderstanding of both parties are essential. For able-body, one should learn thoroughly about obstacles the underprivileged encountered by daily observation or even real-time participation in experiential programs provided by respective organization, such as Dialogue in the Dark for sightless experience. In contrast, the disabled people proactively acquiring life skills can improve one’s self esteem, lower one’s dependence, and reduce people’s presumption disadvantaging
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
After recording the behaviors of disabled and nondisabled guests at Downtown Disney, it became evident that the social construction of disability may have an influence on the amount of interest or engagement shown between individuals. Based on the observations recorded, it appears that the nondisabled people seemed to show a lack of interest or regard for the disabled people involved in the interactions. Although it may not have been overt, it seemed nondisabled people exhibited subtle signs of superiority over disabled people, appearing to treat them as if they were helpless or burdensome.
Social exclusion is the exclusion of an individual from the current social system, their individual rights and privileges. This is usually a result of a person living in poverty due to circumstances he or she has no control over, or their own human error. Becoming socially excluded can also be the result of the individual belonging to a minority social group. Social exclusion refers to individuals whom are excluded from certain aspects of social life such as employment and social relations. This can be due to reasons such as whether or not the individual would like to participate in social activities, or whether he or she is unable to participate in social activities for reasons which are beyond their control, such as a disability (Burchandt et al. 2002). Social exclusion can be a major problem, studies have shown that being socially excluded from a group/s in fact activates particular areas of the brain, areas which would usually only be activated by physical pain (Eisenberger et al, 2003). Not only can social exclusion have negative effects on an individuals mental health and wellbeing, but it can also cause exploitation, oppression and marginality. Social exclusion also prevents equality, fairness and social justice.
...ive most of their life as a perfectly able-bodied person until a tragic accident one day could rob you of the function of your legs, and you have to learn how to cope with being disabled. Mairs illustrates that being disabled is more common than the media portrays, and it’s hard to deal with feeling alienated for your disabilities. These three authors have evoked a sense of sympathy from the reader, but they also imply that they don’t want non-handicapped people to pity them. The goal these authors have is to reach out to the able-bodied person, and help them understand how to treat a disabled person. The disabled people don’t want to be pitied, but they still need our help sometimes, just like if you saw someone with an arm full of grocery bags having difficulty opening their car door. They want us to accept them not as a different species, but as functional people.
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
This tone is also used to establish an appeal to pathos which he hopes to convince the audience of the fact that handicapped people are still people and not less than anyone else. A very prominent example of Peace’s emotion is displayed when he says, “Like many disabled people, I embrace an identity that is tied to my body. I have been made to feel different, inferior, since I began using a wheelchair thirty years ago and by claiming that I am disabled and proud, I am empowered,” (para. 15). This declaration demonstrates to his audience that Peace is honored by who he is and what disabled people can do and that he is tired of being oppressed by the media. Peace also makes this claim to support his thesis in the first paragraph that states, “The negative portrayal of disabled people is not only oppressive but also confirms that nondisabled people set the terms of the debate about the meaning of disability,” (para. 1). This is Peace’s central argument for the whole article and explains his frustration with society’s generalization of handicapped people and the preconceived limitations set on them. Peace’s appeal to pathos and tone throughout are extremely effective in displaying to his audience (society) that those who have disabilities are fed up with the limits that have been placed in the
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.
“If the technology became available for the deaf to hear completely, would you want your deaf child to have this technology?” It is every parent’s dream for their child to grow up healthy and happy. There are so many children in the world that do not have the ability to hear, and it is a horrible thing. Many would think it wrong for a parent to not want to give their child the gift of sight. If I had a child that was deaf, I would do everything in my power to help them get their hearing. If the technology was there to fix this disability, why wouldn’t anyone want their child to have it? “840 babies are born with a permanent hearing loss every year.”(NDCS of UK). This is a horrible number to hear, that so many children will never be able to hear. If there was any technology able to restore a child’s hearing it would be a shame if the parents didn’t get it. “Deaf children face tremendous difficulties learning to read, write and communicate with the hearing world around them.”(NDCS of UK). Not only would you be giving your child the gift of hearing by using this technology, but you will also help child to be able learn on the normal level of other children.
The World Health Organisation, WHO, (1980) defines disability in the medical model as a physical or mental impairment that restricts participation in an activity that a ‘normal’ human being would partake, due to a lack of ability to perform the task . Michigan Disability Rights Coalition (n.d.) states that the medical model emphasizes that there is a problem regarding the abilities of the individual. They argue that the condition of the disabled persons is solely ‘medical’ and as a result the focus is to cure and provide treatment to disabled people (Michigan Disability Rights Coalition, 2014). In the medical model, issues of disability are dealt with according to defined government structures and policies and are seen as a separate issue from ordinary communal concerns (Emmet, 2005: 69). According to Enabling Teachers and Trainers to Improve the Accessibility of Adult Education (2008) people with disabilities largely disa...
Disabled people have many challenges throughout their lives that they have to beat everyday. At all times whether the disability is physical or mental there is not a time for an impaired person to rest. There are two models of disability the social model and the medical model. They models have different views that explains how disabled people deal with the obstacles of their everyday lives. The social model look at it in ways of removing barriers that restrict life choices for disabled people. When barriers are removed, disabled people can be independent and live an equal life in society, with a choice and control over their own lives (Social Model vs. Medical Model). In contrast the medical model looks at what is “wrong” with the person and
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. 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.
If the technological devices were to use in order to create an appropriate environment, then there would not be even in a need for a word “disabled.” Therefore, this paper acclaims that disability is more of a social fiction rather than a real entity. It is a social construct which humans impose.
“Every society has some members with disabilities. How the society treats the disabled, takes care of them, and helps them integrate into the mainstream, reflects the kind of society it is. We want ours to be a society that cares for all its members; one that does not ignore the needs of those who are born or afflicted with disabilities. We will bring along all our citizens, the fortunate and the unfortunate, help each of them maximise their potential, and progress together. This is what it means to be a people, and a nation.” (Prime Minister’s Office, 2004).
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. To begin with, full inclusion in the education system for people with disabilities should be the first of many steps that are needed to correct the social injustices that people with disabilities currently face.
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.