Coping with Life Disability can affect different people in different ways and can pose a lot of different problems in people. It is never the same from one individual to another. It can be physical or mental and can be severe or minor. But no matter the type of disability, it can be a hard thing for any one person to experience. However, what makes a difference in how they live their lives depends on what coping mechanism that they choose to use to get through life without letting their disability get in the way. They are able to be happy when they have ways to cope with their lives. Throughout the book, research articles and interviews that were conducted there were many different strategies and coping mechanisms that were seen to help people. …show more content…
Research has shown that family and friends play a big role in how people cope with their disabilities. They are there to help make the person feel as normal as possible and live life as close to everyone else around them as possible. In an interview with a mother of a child with Down syndrome, she said, “I really do not view us as any different as any other family. Maybe just a bit closer and patient with things and a mutual compassion for others.”4 Perhaps one of the biggest detriments to the disabled is being viewed or treated as being different. This needs to be recognized by friends and family members early and they need to treat the person same way as they did before the disability and include them into social events as would have been before. In doing so, they make the person feel much less isolated due to their disability. Through the bad days and good, those supporting them must be there for them at all times as the rebuilding process may not be an easy one. This is a great coping mechanism because the person will never be alone and they will never have to worry about not being able to do something, or falling, as their family and friends will be right there to pick them up. In the review that I did about the amputees after the war, social support was identified as the biggest coping mechanism. Starting with the nurses that cared for the amputees to families and friends.3The initial support from these people became very important as they were the closest to the disabled after the amputation. Those days immediately following the event were the most crucial as the shock of losing a limb was still very fresh and devastating. In the book Soul Surfer, Bethany shows how her family helped her cope by constantly cheering her on and helping her get back into surfing even when she felt she could not do it. In the book, her dad was there for her to give support and motivate her
Having Down Syndrome is a Horizontal identity. Most Americans view people with Down’s to be disabled and do not thing much past that. But, many people with Down’s see this simply as a part of who they are, just as much as the color of their eyes. To them, it is not a disability, but just a fact of life. Many outsiders do not understand this, which is why the Down’s community is so important. The Down’s community provides those with Down’s acceptance to their identity. While the rest of society rejects and pities them, within their community they can relate with others and be treated equally. Unlike with vertical identities where the parents are automatically insiders, parents must choose to whether or not to support their children’s horizontal identities. Some parents choose not to accept Down’s before the child is born and terminate the pregnancy while others do their best to make sure their child is comfortable in the world. Again, in more recent years, there are movements for society to be more educated and inclusive for those with Down Syndrome, but there is still a long way to go.
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.
Estreich’s book gives readers a glimpse of the challenges and difficulties parents of children with Down Syndrome face. Ranging in severity from social discrimination, eating meals on their own, and ensuring that the world is continually striving to shape their child's acceptance.
The studies given as examples and discussion focuses on teenagers and young adults, but includes anyone is struggling to find happiness. Evidence to Support Thesis: Point 1: The level of well-being is emphasized as more people continue to lose track of what makes them happy. Shawn Anchor is reminding people to capture the essence of simple contentment and asking his audience to think about what they value. Anchor’s book provides seven principles that involve having an open mind to becoming happier. Anchor includes other research studies as evidence to his claims throughout the book.
They are human beings determined to make something good in their lives. Across the world, people with disabilities have poorer health outcomes, lower education achievements, less economic participation and higher rates of poverty than people without
This article mainly examines ways in which parents can deal properly with the news of being told that their child has a disability. There are a few stories in the article which emphasize the way the parents felt when they found out about their child’s disability. In most cases, the parents felt shattered, overwhelmed and completely shocked. The article explained that parents have an expectation of having that “perfect” child and when one is told that the child is not so perfect, their dreams and their lives become devastating. The reading examines ways in which to build a support system as well as ways in which to keep a balance in your life. The author indicates the importance of keeping a positive attitude when in this situation.
The people with disabilities are portrayed as hardworking. They have people surrounding them that are accepting and encourage them to do their best. The support helps them build up courage to overcome their disability. It can take years, but the effort will not be
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.
People who have physical disabilities often experience negative situations and connotations that they must overcome to thrive in society. People who offer narratives about their disabilities often give the most accurate representation about the challenges those with disabilities face. Ms. Marenge, reported that one of the hardest things about leaving the rehabilitation center after becoming paralyzed was living in a house that was inaccessible, and having to rely on her family to carry her up and down the house (Casey Marenge, 2011). Similarly, a student with muscular dystrophy, says that she wishes more places were wheelchair accessible, because when they aren’t she feels that society is holding her back, and she can’t reach her full potential. Alisha also reported that t making friends is hard because some kids would ignore her at school because of her situation and she is often separated from the mainstream students at school. Alisha, doesn’t want to be defined by her disability, however, she believes that many people who look at her only see her wheelchair (Alisha Lee, 2011). Despite the many negative ways people who suffer from physical disabilities are affected, it is important to note that they don’t always feel bad for themselves, and that having a disability doesn’t stop them from loving
The topic of disabilities is difficult, however, even more, difficult is living life with a disability. This weekend I was able to experience firsthand how difficult living with a disability can be. Though I was able to experience something I would have never considered doing, I want to emphasize that this was a choice. In being a choice, I recognize that my experience will never carry the weight of those who endure any type of disability day in and day out without a choice. In our current time with the vast amount of change, we face as a society it is critical that experiences such as mine in this simulation experience are discussed across a broad audience. It is through such experiences and discussions that we as a society can better support
In middle school I was diagnosed with a disability with the way I expressed myself through writing. Ever since, I have gained multiple values and learned several lessons about self confidence. I was taught to push past my limits, in order to be successful in reaching my goals along with my dreams. Today I am a senior in high school who was once thought to struggle, but was able to succeed beyond expectations. To some, a disability may seem like a setback from achieving goals, but to me I used it as a challenge for myself. I accepted myself for who I was and looked at my disability as a unique trait of mine. I was able to provide a message to others that anything you set your mind to is possible with dedication and hard work. It might take
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.
A child with a disability is having someone that has been diagnosed whether at birth, from an illness, or an accident that can leave a person with a disability. Sometime a person may not be diagnosed until years later. This disability which will not allow a person to function on a regular day to day basis. Therefore, someone has to take on that responsibility to assist that child to make sure they are taken care of. A child can be born with multiple disabilities and this is only to name a few: Down’s Syndrome, Autism, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD), Mental Retardation. Each disability can be different. Some can be more severe than others. they can come from different cultures and financial status. Even as a person grows older a disability can occur.
On many occasions teachers have asked, "Is the volume high enough for you?" while my class watches a television documentary. Many teachers in middle school imposed strict rules about where in the classroom I could sit. I've had coaches ask if I know sign language. And during my elementary years, the school insisted I meet with a learning specialist once a week to discuss my "feelings" about being hearing-impaired. All these restrictions were placed on me despite the fact that I was an above-average student and an aggressive athlete.
I have always grown up in a more ‘normal’ setting and seeing people with disabilities was something that was rare to me. When I was younger, my thoughts on people with disabilities were that they could only be physically seen, nothing else (mentally, intellectually, etc.). As I reached middle school, I realized how broad the world is and how many ways people were affected by disabilities. Some of them led a more normal life and some have a harder time adjusting. Just seeing and reading how so many are affected and how harder it is for them really opened up my mind and allowed me to have a wider perception of how broad things are in the world.