The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle has been quoted as saying,“You can judge a nation by the way it treats its most vulnerable citizens.” In fact, there are numerous quotes that convey similar sentiments. Why is it then that during times of financial uncertainty services and programs necessary to promote and maintain the health and welfare of individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) as well as other vulnerable populations are among the first to face budget cuts or to be eliminated altogether? Historically, society has relied heavily on institutions to care for individuals with disabilities. The idea that individuals with disabilities could not -- and should not -- be cared for in their communities perpetuated the stigma associated with this population. Over the past three decades, however, there have been continuous efforts made on behalf of better serving individuals with developmental disabilities. Advocates, legislators, and family members joined forces with individuals with developmental disabilities to voice the need for developing and instituting accessible services that would facilitate moves from institutionalization and that would promote and strengthen community inclusion. The institutionalization of persons with developmental disabilities is readily perceived as a grievous act, qualifying it as a social problem according to the claims making model (Diehm, 2012a). In an attempt to redress many perpetual injustices, oppression, and marginalization of persons with disabilities, advocates and people with disabilities worked together to champion a social movement that led to the birth of the disability rights movement (Winter, 2003). This movement sought to empower those living with disabilities, as we... ... middle of paper ... ... http://bb.tacoma.uw.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-203387_1 Diehm, T. (2012b). Defining Social Problems [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://bb.tacoma.uw.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-203387_1 Dolgoff, R. & Feldstein, D. (2013). Understanding Social Welfare: A Search for Social Justice (9th ed.). Boston: Pearson. Hutchison, E. D. (2011a). Dimensions of human behavior: Person and environment (Fourth edition). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Hutchison, E. D. (2011b). Dimensions of human behavior: The changing life course (Fourth edition). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. National Association of Social Workers (2008). Code of Ethics. Washington, DC: Author. Wallack, S., Sciegaj, M., & Long, L. (2002). Short- and intermediate-term trends affecting medicaid policy for persons with disability, chronic illness, and special needs. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 12, 4, 236-242.
Radley, M. (2009). Understanding the social exclusion and stalled welfare of citizens with learning disabilities. Disability and Society, 23(4): 489-501.
Zastrow, C., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2007). Understanding human behavior and the social environment. Australia; U.S.A.: Thomson Brooks/Cole.
I decided to focus my plunge on adults with mental and physical disabilities, because I had no prior experience with this group. Coming from an able-bodied family where no one has significant handicaps, I was generally shielded from people with disabilities. Over the years, I grew to associate dangerous stigmas with these people, even though they have no control over their circumstance. The
The morality of social welfare systems, or the morality of crafting laws to aid American citizens in poverty, is a subject that (like myriad ethical issues) is hotly debated to say the least. For example, some opponents of social welfare institutions maintain the view that such programs "increase the reward or reduce the penalties" of poverty; thereby ostensibly making an impoverished state appealing even to people who might initially have been motivated to earn a living by conventional means. In other words, welfare programs (according to opponents) encourage otherwise productive individuals to embrace laziness, for basic human needs would be met by such institutions, eliminating the need to work at all. Those opposed to social welfare plans have also been known to claim that an "unfair burden is placed upon workers who must pay for the system." When one considers the above opposing views, it would then stand to reason that proponents of social welfare programs might maintain that it is the moral responsibility of working citizens to provide assistance and funding for programs such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children, the Food Stamp program, or the like. This supposition is confirmed upon examination of the notion that, when basic human needs such as "food, housing, and medical care" are not met, one is consequently rendered unable to uphold any level of social freedom. Given the above information, one can safely deduce that modern supporters of social welfare organizations are under the impression that such programs provide the impoverished masses with the means by which to obtain the level of general well-being vital to acquiring work in the first place.
Developmental disability services come from someone outside your family unit who works in Human Services. This support is referred to as “services” and comes from medical, educational, and federal and state government programs.
4) Ettinger, R. H. "CHAPTER 3." Psychology: The Science of Behavior. 4TH ed. Redding, CA: BVT Pub., 2009. 91. Print.
Like I mentioned before, prior to the mid 19th century those with intellectual disabilities were not accepted into society, but during the mid 19th century a man named Samuel G. Howe opened the first humanitarian institution in North America. He discovered 575 people with intellectual disabilities. Each were examined with respect and he discovered many different things about intellectual disabilities. Soon after, in the 1950’s the National Association for Retarded Children was formed. All throughout the years following the opening of the humanitarian institution there was an increase in acceptance for those with intellectual disabilities. President John F. Kennedy even formed the Presidents panel on Mental Retardation in
Persons with disabilities encounter countless environmental and societal barriers which affect their daily lives. There is numerous definitions worldwide and in Canada for the term “disability”, and debates about who is considered a person with a disability. Winkler gives an elaborate definition of this term which will be used to define disability throughout this paper. Above and beyond the general definition, Winkler states “Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” (2009, p. 329). Winkler mentions that in addition
...son, E. D. (2008). Dimensions of Human Behaviour: Person and Environment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Healthcare professionals lack experience and education on how to work with hospitalized patients with intellectual disabilities (reference). Admittance into the hospital can put a lot of stress on individuals with ID as well as their caregivers, and the healthcare professionals involved. Balancing the needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities is a challenge for many professionals throughout the hospital due to multiple factors have produced years of social oppression, institutional discrimination, and attitudinal barriers. Communication is the key to maintaining a seamless flow between health care professionals and their special need patients. By advocating for a reform in training of health care professions, this would help with increasing the quality of services provided for those with intellectual
According to the World Health Organisation (2011), there are more than 1 billion people with disabilities in the world, with this number rising. Many of these people will be excluded from the regular situations we, ‘the ordinary’, experience in everyday life. One of these experiences is our right to education. Article 42 of the Irish Constitution states that the state shall provide for free primary education until the age of 18, but is this the right to the right education? Why should being born with a disability, something which is completely out of your control, automatically limit your chances of success and cut you off from the rest of society due to being deemed ‘weaker’ by people who have probably never met you? With approximately 15% of the world’s population having disabilities, how come society is unable to fully accept people with disabilities? In order to break this notion, we must begin with inclusion.
Children with disabilities are more in the public eye than years ago, although they are still treated differently. Our society treats them differently from lack of education on special needs. The society labels them and make their lives more difficult than it has to be becau...
This act established old age benefits and funding for assistance to blind individuals and disabled children and the extension of existing vocational rehabilitation programmes. In present day society, since the passage of the ADA (American with Disabilities Act of 1990) endless efforts of the disability rights movement have continued on the focus of the rigorous enforcement of the ADA, as well as accessibility for people with disabilities in employment, technology, education, housing, transportation, healthcare, and independent living for the people who are born with a disability and for the people who develop it at some point in their lives. Although rights of the disabled have significantly gotten better globally throughout the years, many of the people who have disabilities and are living in extremely undeveloped countries or supreme poverty do not have access nor rights to any benefits. For example, people who are in wheelchairs as a transportation device have extremely limited access to common places such as grocery stores, schools, employment offices,
While these three authors have different reasons to write their essays, be it media unfairness, ignorance, or ethical disputes, they all share a basic principle: The disabled are not viewed by the public as “normal people,” and they are unfairly cast away from the public eye. The disabled have the same capacity to love, desire and hurt as any other human being, and deserve all of the rights and privileges that we can offer them. They should be able to enter the same buildings, have representation in the media, and certainly be allowed the right to live.
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.