Disability Bad, Impairment Okay?
I was in a conversation the other day with a disabled gentleman who had internalized the AMERKAN nonsense regarding people with various hidden disabiitiesand how they must be suffering with their issues, and in need of a cure. I was happy that I was able to assist him in changing his mind. Any impairment is an issue, only because society sets up roadblocks for people with those specific traits. There are some issues (Only a few) that elicit violence and other dangerous behaviors out of specific individuals, but one has to ask the question, "what triggers those behaviors in the individuals in question?" If we could understand the external triggers better, we could work toward the repair of our suffering society that has chosen to not be inclusive of its population.
Now, I am not saying that we should only work on society, and not help the individual find supports to better integrate themselves into the larger social structure. I am a realist, and I understand that it is nearly impossible to move a society toward a diferent understanding of reality. So, I do believe that it is neccessary to provide supports to disabled individuals till society learns how to be inclusive of everyone. If society is the left hand, and disabled people are the right, both hands should move into the cnter at the same rate and link up. This is the practical goal that will benifit the most people.
Why should both move? Simple. One can be inclusive of everyone, but not at the same time, and this point in history. If you have a gentleman with extreme light sensitivity, and one with glaucoma in the same room, one is going to want bright flourecent light, and the other will be others will be in pain. You can be inclusive of everone, but not in the same room, at the same time. Soiciety can continue to work toward perfection, and should continue, but even if society starts to move toward inclusivity, we may never achieve it fully.
People with impairments, no matter what they are, also have specific strengths. AMERIKAN society just needs to overcome the social construction of disabiity to increase the contributions that all people can make. Our financial capital as a nation depends on it. One out of five people have a disability, and that number is rising.
Now, I am not saying that we should only work on society, and not help the individual find supports to better integrate themselves into the larger social structure. I am a realist, and I understand that it is nearly impossible to move a society toward a diferent understanding of reality. So, I do believe that it is neccessary to provide supports to disabled individuals till society learns how to be inclusive of everyone. If society is the left hand, and disabled people are the right, both hands should move into the cnter at the same rate and link up. This is the practical goal that will benifit the most people.
Why should both move? Simple. One can be inclusive of everyone, but not at the same time, and this point in history. If you have a gentleman with extreme light sensitivity, and one with glaucoma in the same room, one is going to want bright flourecent light, and the other will be others will be in pain. You can be inclusive of everone, but not in the same room, at the same time. Soiciety can continue to work toward perfection, and should continue, but even if society starts to move toward inclusivity, we may never achieve it fully.
People with impairments, no matter what they are, also have specific strengths. AMERIKAN society just needs to overcome the social construction of disabiity to increase the contributions that all people can make. Our financial capital as a nation depends on it. One out of five people have a disability, and that number is rising.
posted by Jody John Ramey at 7:58 AM
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