Today’s class discussion focused on disabilities and how
society views them. Why is everyone so focused on pleasing people with
disabilities? I touched up on the topic briefly in class but I would like to
further expand on the topic on here. A disability is just a brand given by an
institutionalized society. We fear these confrontations with those with
disabilities every day. In reality, these people can still perform everyday
tasks that in our minds we do not see them performing. These disabilities do
not have to be restrained to physical ailments but also cognitive obstructions.
We do not know what the correct terminology to call someone with down-syndrome
or ADD. They should just be called people/peers. I’ve socialized with those
that society views as mentally challenged and their ambitions are no different
than mine. Society has to realize that the people that look different from the
rest of the population are just like those that live a “normal” lifestyle.
These people may have to overcome more obstacles to achieve their goals, but we
shouldn’t look away and leave them there.
Hypothetically speaking, if we have problems in our life, we reach out
to our peers for assistance. This is the same with those people that face challenges;
they can reach out to us and shouldn’t face any hostility from society.
Rosemarie Garland Thompson and Andrea Avery have the problem of addressing
their issue because they feel society would take their obstacle and be unable
to help. Going back to my question why is everyone so focused on pleasing
people with disabilities? There is a distinction I want to make before people
jump on me for my opinion. There is a difference of pleasing someone to make
them fit with their disability and there is pleasing someone that is a friend,
making sure they are a part of society and viewed as able. My question focuses
on the first part, pleasing to fit the disability.
What do you think?
Darren Pope
I think when someone with a disability is around a small social contract kicks in with everyone else around. People have the need within themselves to want to help others who them have in their minds to be less functioning then they are. So I feel pleasing people because they have a disability is based on good intentions but with less thought involved with how function those individuals might be without the assumptions of someone else believing that they are incapable of doing the simplest of tasks.
ReplyDeleteTo pose a hypothesis, perhaps people fear interacting with those who have disabilities because they are unsure of how to act around them. On the one hand we are told to respect disabled people and act as if they are normal people. On the other hand, they do clearly have a disability and assisting them would surely be of a benefit to them. In addition, one is never sure what the temperament of a person is. Maybe they would love to be helped out but nobody asks. Or they could hate to be singled out and want to be treated like they are just like everybody else. So instead of potentially embracing themselves and/or the disabled person, people just choose to play it safe and pretend the disabled person doesn't exist.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you Robert, there are circumstances where we don't know the correct way of reacting to a situation like your example. We are trained to not stare by our parents/guardians so the person doesn't feel isolated. I feel that in general people just react in the wrong context and should think about what consequences there can be both positive and negative. It is a delicate subject to know the correct reactions and incorrect reactions because everyone is different from each other and therefore will have different reactions as well
ReplyDeleteI really like this post and I totally agree that people with disabilities still have goals and aspirations, a lot of the time very similar to our own. I also see the validity in Robert's comment, that most people do not know how to interact with people that are different from themselves, which can include someone with a disability. I have found that it is difficult to know if you are demeaning a person with a disability by acting like they need help but you don't want to ignore their disability as if there is no difference between you and the other person. In my experience, if the person reaches out for help then it is clear that this is comfortable for them and you aren't belittling them in helping. Disability is a sensitive subject but ignoring it is just as bad as pointing it out, sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that people with disabilities are still just like everyone else, with goals and who do the same everyday tasks. My first instinct is to feel bad for those with disabilities, but I think it is important to treat them just like everybody else. Although we are tought at a young age not to stare at those with disabilities, I think ignoring them and pretending like they are not there is even worse. Kids at a young age, if they recognize people with disabilities they wont become awkward or uncomfortable around them. I think kids are a lot less judgmental so they would act and treat those with disabilities as 'normal'.
ReplyDeleteI agree a lot with what has been said. I liked the definition of "disability" that we discussed in class and how it's similar to the social construct of race. The disability may hinder the individual but that's not what makes them disabled by our standards. Instead, society applies the disability to the individual based on a standard of functionality that we perceive as "normal." That is why throughout educational instruction, we have learned to embrace these people as students with disabilities instead of disabled students as the disability does not define their identity but is only a part of it. As far as coping with them, it's hard to judge what is right and wrong. We find it hard to watch another individual struggle, but at the same time we also don't wish to impede on their independence and so it can prove to be quite difficult to pick your time to intervene.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Darren. I do not know why we judge these people as an "other" in society? I mean they are the same as me and you, but they have something that is a bit "different" according to the "norms of society." We should be honored that we know people (in our lives) that have a disability because we see that judging them is wrong and cruel. We should see them in the "bright light" and see them as a model~ we want to have their ability to overcome life's pities and downfalls.
ReplyDeleteWe should not see these people as "different." As Rob pointed out, we should help them out, but we need to know their stance on how to "help" them. What is their temper like~ short-fuse or patient? Disability is a "sensitive subject" to everyone~ including the person who has it and the person helping them out. We need to also learn from these kids that don't see disabled kids as in a shade of "black or white" but in a shade of "gray." We need to learn not to judge them one way or another!!