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How people with disabilities are discriminated against in the world
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Many people still think culture in terms of the practices, beliefs, or some material objects that belong to a group of people or an entire nation. But, I believe that when talking about culture, one can include a community of practice. There are many people who might not live in close proximity to each other but still practice ad participate in common activities and have access to certain beliefs about the world. What seems to me most important in the reading of "Culture as Disability" is how the essay talks about issues that everyone should be aware of, but somehow not everyone is. The essay "Culture as Disability" addressed an interesting issue whether there can be a culture which does not disable or disadvantage anyone in it? I believe the
answer is no. I believe that culture can be seen as a disability or an affliction. It can binds or make people to behave in a setting ways. It can also play a major part in our lives by refraining our freedom and reduce people to passive human beings instead of being more active in certain ways. Yes as individuals, we are stigmatized not because of anything intrinsic to us but rather because of the norms of the cultures within which we find ourselves in.
The movie The Ringer, starring Johnny Knoxville as Steve Barker, is posing as someone with a mental disability to participate in the Special Olympics. He is trying to get money from rigging the Special Olympics and using the money to help his friend Stavi receive surgery to attach his fingers back due to a landscaping accident. Steve is completely surpassed by the fellow athletes, which they are not only better athletes; they're just better people. Shortly after arriving, they're on to him, but instead of ratting him out, they help him beat Jimmy, the arrogant champion
When looking at the photo above, it is clear to see that some sort of rally is taking place in the streets. The banner with the MLK quote does not actually say what the rally is actually for, but there is a heavy emphasis on justice vs. injustice. The people on the right half of the picture look very stern and determined, while the people on the left are smiling a little more and being more social. A lot of the people involved in the rally are in wheel chairs which makes it understood that this is a rally for disabled people everywhere, but not everyone is in a wheelchair. Some people are standing around the people in wheelchairs and marching with them. The photo is in black and white and there are tall buildings all around the people. There
Theme #1: Ableism The first theme we discussed in class was ableism. Ableism is discrimination of disabled or handicapped people (Croft, Ableism Powerpoint, 2016). The disability does not have to be obvious such as the person needing a wheelchair or a cane. They can be less obvious to what we consider “normal” such as the person wearing glasses.
In mainstream American society, we tend to approach deafness as a defect. Helen Keller is alleged to have said, "Blindness cuts people off from things; deafness cuts people off from people." (rnib.org) This seems a very accurate description of what Keller's world must have been. We as hearing people tend to pity deaf people, or, if they succeed in the hearing world, admire them for overcoming a severe handicap. We tend to look at signing as an inferior substitute for "real" communication. We assume that all deaf people will try to lip-read and we applaud deaf people who use their voices to show us how far they have come from the grips of their disability. Given this climate, many hearing people are surprised, as I was at first, to learn of the existence of Deaf culture. To me deafness is not a defect but a source of connection. Imagine yourself deaf, growing up with a beautiful language, visual literature, humor, and theater. Imagine taking pride in your identity without any desire to become a member of the majority culture. For many deaf people, their community is a comforting relief from the isolation and condescension of the hearing world. However the Deaf community is far more than a support group for people who share a physical characteristic. Members of the Deaf community may have hearing levels that range from profoundly deaf to slightly hard-of-hearing. But no members of the Deaf community are "hearing impaired." Inside this community, deaf people become Deaf, proudly capitalizing their culture. Hearing people suddenly find that they are handicapped: "Deaf-impaired."
A ‘model’ is an ideology or system held by a particular group, in this essay the models referred to will focus upon those surrounding disability and impairment. The models being analysed are the medical model and social model of disability, and their impact on people with impairments. The theory of the social model of disability was a reaction to the ascendance of the medical model in society. Though social modelling ideologies were held in the 1960s, the idea was brought forward by the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS) in 1975. The UPIAS claimed that it was society that disabled people, thus bringing about the ‘social model’. The medical and social models of disability have then been furthered upon by different theorists, scholars and disability rights advocates. This essay will explore the definition and systems behind these two models of disability, while using articles on the media portrayal of disability to help bring a greater understanding of these models and how they work.
The purpose of this essay is to draw on the idea of disability by exploring how the social construction of self and other might impact geographies of inclusion and exclusion. The idea is that social constructionism is a product of men and was created by society as a whole, rather than by individuals, and disability, along with the other concepts such as race and gender, were no longer viewed to be biologically determined (Berger & Luckmann 1966). In order to illustrate this issue, the essay will be broken down into three parts, with each part addressing a different topic in relations to disability. The first part will show what society considers to be a disability, and the expectations of society, which includes the different models that has
An author by the name of M.F. MoonZajer once quoted, “My culture is my identity and personality. It gives me spiritual, intellectual, and emotional distinction from others, and I am proud of it.” Each person has their own unique and distinct culture, that makes them different from everyone else. Culture refers to the characteristics of a particular group of people, including their language, cuisine, social habits, religion, music and arts. It is a person’s way of life and different groups of people have their own ways of doing things. Through culture, people develop a sense of belonging, personal growth and the capacity empathize and associate with others. Therefore, a person's culture consistently informs the way one views others and the world.
It could be said that in modern industrial society, Disability is still widely regarded as 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.
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 most interesting topic discussed in chapter seven is the sections concerning the medical and social models of disability. I find the difference of the focus of the two models very interesting because one leads to a very different perspective of disability than the other. I find myself aligning more with the thought that both models have to exist in order for the full understanding of disability to come into view. In other words, I do not completely agree nor disagree with either model. To explain, as the medical model is based off of the ideology of normality, which suggests that being in a normal state of good health is the standard for which to base off any deviance or sickness, a definition of normal is required. A definition of good
Culture has a variety of meanings in our daily lives. Culture is defined as objects created by a society as well as the ways of thinking, acting, and behaving in a society (Macionis). Culture has a variety of elements that is important in understand. To grasp culture, we must consider both thoughts and things. Culture shapes not only what we do, but also what we think and how we feel.
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.
Culture is the explanation and sophistication attained through education and the revelation to the arts. Culture is not only ethnicity, but also and customs and philosophy. In Culture Learning: The Fifth Dimension on the Language Classroom Damen claims, “Culture is mankind’s primary adaptive mechanism”, to illustrate his personal definition of culture (Maximizing web). Culture can easily be effected by many things such as an idea. For example, Jeremy Bentham was the founder of Utilitarian which is the belief that actions are right if they achieve the happiness of many; numerous people opposed Bentham’s philosophy because minority interests were not included (Cruttenden 86). The culture of a time period can affect the future in many distinguishing ways such as with wonderful works of art, or with advances in technology and science.
Nevertheless, some commentators have stated that the EqA is comprehensive enough since it has extended the duty to, service providers, public functions, and associations in a bid to enhance an organised and methodical approach by eliminating the hurdles in workplaces through taking positive steps. The Code of Practice Services, Public Function, and Association, Chapter 7 strongly supports this stand. It further emphasises that the duty extends beyond ‘just avoiding discrimination”. Therefore, as paragraph 7.4 of the Code, which provides that, organisation policy is not a minimalist one, levelling employment ground for disabled employees must be made in so far as it is reasonably practicable to enable them to have equal access of all things
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.