disabilities in society

Physical Impairments

Difficulties in one or more of the following areas Physical and motor tasks Independent movement Performing basic life functions Impairment has to adversely affect one's participation in major life activities

Howard Rusk

Founder of rehabilitation medicine 1944: Began rehabilitation program for disabled airmen coming back from WWII Not initially supported by rest of medical field who considered rehabilitation a "boondoggle" Government funded project of no real value to the community or nation Later argued that failure to provide rehab was, in effect, medical neglect

Slang

GIMP, SPAZ, RETARD, CRIP, ASPIE - Slang may be used by people with disabilities to mock society's attitudes towards them, however, these same terms can have negative connotations if used by a person who is not disabled. Kind of like the N word Some PWD use slang to reclaim derogatory words

League of the Physically Handicapped (1935)

Grassroots organization: Opposed discrimination in government and private employment First cross-disability national organization to urge rights for PWD End to job discrimination, lobby for passage of legislation, call for a National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week, etc. Same time as FDR was hiding his disability Protested discrimination by WPA June 1935: Sit-in by 6 people at NYC office of the Emergency Relief Bureau

Handicap Terms...

HANDICAP - Do not use to describe a person's physical condition. PWD are not necessarily handicapped. The term refers to environmental barriers preventing full participation or integration. Attitudes and objects in the environment that hinder one's functioning: steps, steep ramps, condescending people. HANDICAPPED PERSON - Once used as a polite term. A better description is a "person with a disability." HANDICAPPED PARKING - Is the parking spot physically limited? Better- "Accessible Parking"

Disability as a test of faith

"God gives us only that which we can bear" "I have to say for all parents that have kids with disabilities, or exceptionalities, I think you have to look at that as a gift from God, as a blessing, as a test of your faith. If you have faith, it's going to work out." Sense of purpose and strength: both for the PWD and his/her family

Why People First Language?

"Language is critical in shaping and reflecting our thoughts, beliefs, feelings and concepts. Some words by their very nature degrade and diminish people with a disability." "Perhaps the most dangerous misuse of language in describing people with a disability has been to dehumanize the individual by labeling the person as the disability - a quad, a spastic, a retard, etc."

The Essence of the Social Model

"Society needs to adjust to impaired people rather than disabled people needing to adjust to their impairment" (Marks, 1997, p. 87) Agree? Disagree? True? Kind of true? Not true at all?

What is Pity?

"The feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others"

"Being PC"- Position 2

"The term 'politically correct' used to mean showing consideration, being polite and having good manners. But it has gotten out of hand! I think that as long as you use good sense, are generally a considerate person and pay attention, you shouldn't have to worry about your 'phrasing' all of the time. I usually don't get offended unless the person who does it actually meant to."

A little more about the numbers...

1 in 5 people in the U.S. has a disability. Largest minority group in the U.S. Can become a "member" at birth or later through accident, illness, or aging. Disability spans all ages, genders, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic levels.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (read pg. 65, 151-153 in text book)

1921- Polio (assumed) Paralysis from waist down Went to great lengths to limit the appearance of his paralysis (covering) 1933 to 1945- U.S. President 1935 Social Security Act: established a program of permanent assistance for adults with (some) disabilities

Buck v. Bell

1924 -Commonwealth of Virginia Compulsory sterilization of those with cognitive impairments Carrie Buck: 18-year-old patient at Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded whom doctors claimed had a mental age of 9 1927: U.S. Supreme Court upheld state sterilization laws Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes described sterilization laws as a way to "prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind"

Great Depression and the WPA

1935: FDR established "Works Progress Administration" (WPA) to provide jobs for the unemployed Employed ~8 million mostly unskilled men to carry out public works projects But PWD were considered "unemployable" under this legislation

Eugenics in Hitler's Germany

1938 poster: "60,000 Reichsmark is what this person suffering from a hereditary defect costs the People's community during his lifetime. Fellow citizen, that is your money, too" PWD were seen as drain on the state and, later, the war effort Action T4 (1939-1945): Mercy killings of the sick and disabled. ~1/4 million killed by 1945. Injections gas (later used in Holocaust) Lebensborn: Program to increase # of Aryan children by supporting "extramarital relations" between racially pure parents (mainly SS soldiers and attractive young women)

The War Years: 1941-1945

1941 Hitler suspends Aktion T4 program that killed ~100k people, but euthanasia continues through use of drugs and starvation instead of gassings 1942 Henry Viscardi, American Red Cross volunteer, trained hundreds of disabled soldiers to use prosthetic limbs. He worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C. 1944 Howard Rusk began rehabilitation program for disabled airmen at the U.S. Army Air Force Convalescent Center in Pawling, New York. Dubbed "Rusk's Folly" by the medical establishment, rehabilitation medicine became a new medical specialty. 1945 President Harry Truman signs Public Law 176 creating an annual National Employ the Handicapped Week. Formed "President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities"

MDA Labor Day Telethons

1966 - 2010 Variety show Held every year $2.5 billion raised

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

1977: Protests by disability rights advocates in California to implement section 504 After demonstrations and sit-ins, first guidelines finally signed and issued 4 years later!

Sections

504: Provided civil rights for PWD in programs receiving federal funding Schools, airports, libraries, federal employers

Medical Terms

DISEASE - Most people with disabilities are as healthy as anyone. Use "condition." PATIENT - Use this term only when referring to someone who is in a hospital or under a doctor's immediate care.

Visible Disabilities(pg. 255-260)

A disability that is immediately apparent to casual observers Many PWD cannot "pass" as non-disabled Passing: to be regarded as non-disabled in order to gain social acceptance Might be able to "cover" by making their disability appear less impactful or of a different type/origin

Prejudice: Preexisting Judgments(pg. 118-120)

All people with X are Y Of lower intelligence Less capable Angry about their situation Just faking it to get disability Good at school Better off in an institution No One with X CAN Hold a job Think for themselves Work as well as someone else without X Work in a public-facing job Take care of themselves Have a romantic relationship Vote Raise a family

Chronic Health Conditions (usually hidden)

AIDS/HIV Allergies Arthritis Cancer Cerebral palsy Chemical/fragrance sensitivity Chronic fatigue Chronic pain Diabetes Epilepsy Fibromyalgia Heart condition Hepatitis Lupus Lyme disease Migraines Multiple sclerosis Muscular dystrophy Myasthenia gravis Parkinson's disease

Some Criticisms...

As for "raising awareness," few of the videos I've seen contain any substantive information about the disease, why the money is needed, or how it will be used. More than anything else, the ice bucket videos feel like an exercise in raising awareness of one's own zaniness, altruism, and/or attractiveness in a wet T-shirt. The whole thing has turned from a decent enough attempt to raise cash for a good cause into a ghastly narcissistic freakshow, combining the worst elements of social media self-love and celebrity worship with armchair feelgood clicktivism.

Limiting Terms

DISABLED (ADJECTIVE) - Use as a noun. Poor usage: "The disabled population is increasing." Better: "The number of people who have disabilities is increasing." DISABLED PERSON - Try using "person with a disability," (PWD) thus putting the person before the disability. DEAF AND DUMB or DEAF MUTE - People who are deaf have healthy vocal folds. If they do not speak, that is because they do not hear the correct way to pronounce words. Try "person who is deaf" or "Deaf person" (we'll talk more about this...)

Work Discrimination

Bullied, intimidated, harassed or threatened because of an actual or perceived disability Denied a reasonable accommodation that you requested Denied a job even though your disability does not prevent you from performing the required duties with reasonable accommodations Denied a promotion or employment benefits because of a disability Treated noticeably different than others without disabilities Disadvantaged by a company policy because of your disability

Limiting Terms

CONFINED/BOUND/RESTRICTED TO A WHEELCHAIR - People with disabilities are no more "confined to a wheelchair" than people with poor vision are "confined to their eyeglasses." Wheelchairs and eyeglasses are tools used to increase one's independence. Try this language instead - "uses a wheelchair for mobility," or "has a wheelchair," or "gets around by wheelchair" CRIPPLED - Avoid this word unless talking about an object (e.g., crippled car on the highway).

Lobotomy

Cut the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex (anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain) 1936 - First Lobotomy (Portugal) 1949 Moniz awarded the Nobel Prize 1941- Rosemary Kennedy (23) 1946 -First transorbital lobotomy (Dr. Freeman) 1951- Estimated 20,000 lobotomies in U.S. Replaced by antipsychotic medications

David: An Example

David is 4 years old and has a form of cerebral palsy (CP). David's CP causes his legs to be stiff, tight, and difficult to move. He cannot stand or walk. impairment: Inability to move his legs easily at the joints and inability to bear weight on his feet. Currently no treatment to lessen his impairment. disability: David's inability to walk is a disability. His level of disability can be improved with physical therapy and special equipment. If he learns to use a walker, with braces, his level of disability will improve considerably. David's cerebral palsy is handicapping to the extent that it prevents him from fulfilling a normal role at home, in preschool, and in the community.

Sensory Impairments (subset of physical disabilities)

Deafness Hard of hearing Tinnitus Blindness Low vision Diplopia Anosmia (no sense of smell) Chronic pain Parasthesia ("pins & needles")

Psychiatric Disabilities

Depression Bipolar Disorder Anxiety Disorders Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Panic Disorder Schizophrenia Personality Disorders Often viewed as lack of character or willpower

Social Model

Developed by PWD in response to the medical model and it's impact on their lives Disability is mainly caused by the society in which we live. It is not the "fault" of PWD, nor an inevitable consequence of their limitations. Disability is the product of the physical, organizational and attitudinal barriers present within society, which lead to prejudice and discrimination The removal of prejudice and discrimination requires an accommodating society Disability is a collective issue, not an individual problem Barriers that prevent PWD from playing a part in society are the problem, not the individual Barriers still exist in education, information and communication systems, working environments, health and social support services, transport, housing, public buildings and amenities The devaluing of PWD through negative images in the media - films, television, newspapers - also acts as a barrier Developed with aim of removing barriers so that PWD have the same opportunity as everyone else to determine their own life styles Advocates for civil rights rather than charity or pity Why civil rights? "Any inferiority experienced by PWD is the inferiority conferred on them by society" (p. 73) Isolation of PWD Reduced opportunities for PWD Legalized discrimination against PWD This model is about the struggle for equality Similar to struggles of other socially marginalized groups Such as?

World Health Organization (2014)

Disabilities is now an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure An activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action A participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations

Moral Model is the Oldest

Disability = defect Moral lapse or sins Can bring shame to entire family Disabled family member hidden away, kept out of school and/or excluded from any chance at a meaningful role in society Particularly burdensome for the PWD Can result in social ostracism and self-hatred Divine retribution for sin A warning to others A reminder to be thankful for what you have

Why Study Disability?

Disability Studies represents a much needed pro-active educational approach to address pervasive discrimination toward PWD in our society.

The ICF Model

Disability and functioning are viewed as outcomes of interactions between health conditions (diseases, disorders and injuries) and contextual factors Contextual factors? External environmental factors (social attitudes, architectural characteristics, legal and social structures, terrain, etc.) Internal personal factors (gender, age, coping styles, social background, education, profession, other factors that influence how disability is experienced by the individual)

discrimination

Discrimination: Behaviors directed against another group. Negative treatment of people that's based on their group membership rather than individual qualities

Disability Rights Movement- 1970's

Drew from civil rights and women's rights movements PWD pushed their own civil rights laws to the forefront of the legislative arena and into the minds of the American public Shifting away from the medical/charity model to the civil rights model of drafting legislation for PWD Legal equality rather than pity

Learning Disabilities (part of Cognitive Disabilities)

Dyslexia Dysgraphia Dyscalculia Dyspraxia (coordinated movements) Visual or auditory perceptual deficit No problem with visual or auditory "hardware"

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Early 1970s, PWD lobbied congress to include civil rights language for PWD Oct 1972 and Mar 1973: Rehabilitation Act was vetoed by President Nixon "Too expensive" "Diverted the program from it's vocational objective into medical and social welfare policies" PWD marched on Washington: a revised Rehabilitation Act was passed by Nixon Sep 26, 1973 For the first time in history, the civil rights of PWD were protected by law. YAY! BUT... nothing was done to implement or enforce the law

Turn of the Century America: Immigration

Ellis Island 1892-1954 12,000,000 people 6-second physicals: scanned for signs of disease, marked clothing with chalk for further scrutiny <2% denied entry

People First Language

How you describe someone reveals as much about you as it does the person Guideline: If someone sees you on the street, how would you like to be described? If someone meets you at a party and can't remember your name, how would you like to be described? People with disabilities are people, first. "Disabled person" tends to convey a message that the only thing worth mentioning about them is their disability. It is better to say "person with a disability," as this emphasizes the person first without denying the reality of the disability. There is not a homogeneous sub-species called "The Disabled" or "People with Down Syndrome." Each person is a unique individual.

Descriptors

INVALID - This word means literally "not valid." Everybody is valid. UNFORTUNATE - Adjective that describes someone with bad luck, not a PWD. VICTIM - A PWD was probably not harmed as a result of crime (e.g., attacked) or an accident (car crash). Having a disability need not make a person a victim. AFFLICTED WITH / SUFFERS FROM - Connotes pain and suffering. Most PWD are not in pain, nor do they suffer because of their disability.

Summary (from Marks, 1997)

Impairment relates to the organic (i.e., physical) level Disability relates to the immediate consequences of organic impairment Handicap relates to the potential social consequences of deficient ability

The World Health Organization (1980)

Impairment: Any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function Disability: Any restriction or lack (resulting from any impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being Handicap: A disadvantage for a given individual that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role that is normal - Very dependent on one's environment

Disability involves dysfunction at one or more of those 3 levels

Impairments: "My spinal cord is severed" Activity limitations: "I can't walk or grip things very well" Participation restrictions: "Employers won't hire me because of my condition"

Disability Among Undergraduates

In a large study of postsecondary undergraduate students in the United States identified themselves as having disabilities, representing 6% of the student body. The types of disabilities reported were: Learning disabilities 45.7% Mobility or orthopedic impairments 13.9% Health impairments 11.6% Mental illness or emotional disturbance 7.8% Hearing impairments 5.6% Blindness and visual impairments 4.4% Speech or language impairments 0.9% Other impairments 9.1%

World War II

Ironically, best thing to happen to PWD and the future disability rights movement(s) Why? But employees with disabilities (oh, and women, too) usually lost their jobs after the war to make room for returning soldiers

Muscular Dystrophy: an example of the medical/charity model of aid

Main symptom: Muscular weakness Multiple types: Duchenne (~50%), Becker, Limb-Girdle, Congenital, Oculopharyngeal Occurs in both sexes, but most common among young boys Genetically based No cure, but medications and therapy can slow course of the disease

Developmental Disabilities

Manifest as child is developing Down syndrome Fragile X Autism spectrum Asperger's syndrome ADHD (Cognitive? Psychiatric?) Developmental stuttering

Invisible Disabilities: Not readily apparent

Many mental illnesses Chronic illnesses (e.g., diabetes, heart conditions) ADHD Many brain injuries Learning disabilities Seizure disorders Hearing impairment

The ICF Model: A Synthesis

Medical model views disability as a feature of the person Caused by disease, trauma or other health condition Requires medical care/treatment to 'correct' the problem Social model sees disability as a socially created problem, not an attribute of the person Caused by an unaccommodating physical and social environment brought about by outdated attitudes, beliefs, etc. Demands a political response IFC position: Disability is always a dynamic interaction between features of the person and features of the overall context in which the person lives.

Intellectual Disabilities

Mental retardation (cognitively impaired) An appropriate medical term, but considered offensive by many in the disability community Down syndrome Autism spectrum Could fall under Cognitive and Developmental (not mentioned in book) as well

Example

One could argue that a wheelchair user with a mobility impairment is not actually disabled in an environment where he/she can use public transport and gain full access to buildings and their facilities in the same way that someone without the impairment can.

Something to Ponder (from Marks, 1997)

Most of us, if we live long enough, will experience some form of disability. The average 75-year-old will experience some form of limited functioning for 13 years of his or her life. Rather than seeing disability as a clear-cut, fixed condition, it is more accurate to see disability as existing along a continuum with blurred and changing boundaries both between disabled and able-bodied people and with those categorized as disabled.

Environmental Model

One's environment can cause, define, or exaggerate the disability experience 1. Physical environment: Is it accessible to all people? ADA was created to address this 2. Social/cultural environment: Manchurian foot binding Learning disabilities ("6-hour retardates" today but not noticeable in preliterate or illiterate societies) Changes to environment can transform meaning/impact of disability Wheelchair accessible spaces Psychotropic medications Supported living for those with intellectual, psychiatric, and developmental disabilities Jobs, apartments, socialization Replacing institutions Accordance of civil rights to PWD

Quotes from Video

Other people think that life can't be as much fun for people with disabilities. I don't need any help. I got it. I would not have come to the grocery store by myself if I couldn't load my groceries into my car. There's nothing I want to change in my life. If there was one thing I could have, I'd like to have one hand....I would hold a girl's hand with it. "She's got a disease, you might catch it." I've always viewed asking for help... as a key to my independence.

Disability According to 504

PWD defined as "persons with a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities" Major life activities include "caring for one's self, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, working, performing manual tasks, and learning" People who have a history of, or who are regarded as having, a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, are also covered

Where We've Been

PWD have been treated under a medical model in which they are viewed as defective or deficient PWD have been denied their civil rights PWD have been institutionalized, sterilized, and euthanized Legal measures have mostly emphasized veterans and those who can work

Passing and Covering

Passing involves deliberate concealment, and differs from covering, where the intent is to downplay a condition. The goal of passing/covering is to become part of the "normal" group. Strategies include: Obliterating signs associated with the condition Attributing any signs of the condition to less stigmatizing conditions Compartmentalizing the world into the large segment that knows nothing about the condition and the very small support group of individuals who are confidentially notified Passing can create anxiety because of worry about the risk of discovery and embarrassment of being caught

What are signs of patronization?

Patronizing gestures/uninvited touching Talking louder or slower Telling someone they're brave or "a hero" for doing ordinary things Going out of your way to offer charity

Independent Living Movement

People with severe disabilities should have the choice of living in the community and exercising full freedom of choice People can live on their own if provided personal assistance services Personal care Mobility training Transportation (go to school, work, worship, and other community participation) Social and recreation services Home management assistance Access and barrier removal

Cognitive Disabilities

Perception, memory, processing, reasoning, attention Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Leading cause of death and disability among children and adolescents Learning disabilities Dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc.

Types of Disabilities?

Physical Includes sensory and chronic health conditions) Intellectual Cognitive Psychiatric

Physical

Physical capacity to move, coordinate actions, or perform physical activities is significantly limited, impaired, or delayed Mobility: amputation, paralysis/paresis, para/quadriplegia, congenital anomaly (Thalidomide during pregnancy) Vision: blindness, low vision Hearing: deafness

Hierarchy of Stigma

Physical disabilities ↓ Intellectual & cognitive disabilities ↓ Psychiatric disabilities Point: if you quantified the degree of impairment for quadriplegia v. schizophrenia (e.g., functions impaired, residual capacities, treatments required), the analysis could go either way. But the experience of living with these two disabilities would be VASTLY different: the greatest difference between them would be the prejudice and stigma directed toward one but not the other. (p. 527)

What is a Disability?

Physical or mental condition Chronic/long lasting (> 6 months) Limits or threatens to limit someone in some way. "Any restriction or lack (resulting from any impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being" -World Health Organization

Discrimination: Behaviors

Police arrest a Deaf man and refuse to provide an interpreter to allow him to communicate with them People assume a woman with CP is stupid and treat her patronizingly because she slurs her words and "talks funny" A restaurant refuses to make a simple and inexpensive adjustment that would make its entrance accessible for people who use wheelchairs You are unable to use the local pool because there is no way to enter and exit it without using steps Doctors refuse to perform a medical procedure because of your other diagnoses

"Being PC"- The Critics

Political correctness is just another form of good manners but... it used to be perfectly acceptable to refer to people with disabilities as "spastics," "cripples," "invalids," "mongoloids," "loonies," "morons," and "retards" Over time, however, one by one each of these words became used as terms of abuse by people without disabilities Unfortunately, the current replacements are cumbersome: "a person with restricted-mobility issues" and "a person with learning difficulties" do not trip off the tongue in the same way as words like "spazz" and "retard" do

"Being PC"- Position 1

Politically correct (i.e., inoffensive) language is used because of the following beliefs about how language impacts thinking: The rights, opportunities, and freedoms of certain people are restricted when they are reduced to stereotypes Stereotypes are mostly implicit, unconscious, and facilitated by the availability of pejorative labels and terms Rendering the labels and terms socially unacceptable, people must consciously think about how they describe someone unlike themselves

Prejudice

Prejudice: Preconceived & irrational attitudes and opinions toward a person based solely on his/her group membership. May be positive or negative

Independent Living Movement

Rights Deinstitutionalization Support services for independent living Legal protection from discrimination Right to receive quality treatment Right to refuse treatment Due process in professional/governmental decision making that affects them Equal access to public transportation

Jerry's Kids or Jerry's Orphans?

Pro: Raises public awareness and money to find "a cure" Con: "Pity oppresses. No other symbols of disability play up pity more than charity telethons and their poster children" Exploitation What about when they're no longer cute children? "As soon as we are 21 they have no use for us. We aren't cute, adorable, little children to them anymore. So of course, obviously, no MDA Camp- even if we want to volunteer. Even if we bring our own hired assistance. You can be anything you want to be, but not grow up. Then you are supposed to disappear like that. God forbid that most of my friends from camp have bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees and are living as good a life as they let their lives be."

Social Model Solutions

Problems must be addressed in the social, political, and economic spheres Accommodations Provide equal access Public Education Not institutionalization Anti-Discrimination Laws Provide equal opportunity & protection from discrimination Universal design Buildings, products, and spaces that are inherently accessible

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, and sex But NOT protection for PWD Prohibited discrimination in public accommodations, federally funded programs, and employment

Section 504: First civil rights statute for PWD (read pg. 125)

Protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability Section 504 forbids organizations and employers from excluding or denying PWD an equal opportunity to receive program benefits and services Nondiscrimination requirement applies to employers and organizations that receive financial assistance from any federal department or agency

Civil Rights Movement: 1950's-60's

Provided a model for protest Paved way for people to think about social implications of viewing a group of people as inferior or less than human Brought the idea of civil rights into broader consciousness Separate is not equal

Forced Institutionalization1800's - 1980's

Segregation, neglect, abuse 1890 - Fernald School (aka Massachusetts School for Idiotic Children) "Idiots," "Fools," "Simpletons" Most kids had developmental disabilities 1908 - Eastern Pennsylvania Institution of the Feeble Minded "Custodial Warehousing"

Social Stigma

Severe social disapproval of personal characteristics or beliefs that are against cultural norms "Stigma" comes from Greek word describing signs indicating something out of the ordinary or bad about a person (literally "tattoo mark") The phenomenon whereby an individual with an attribute is deeply discredited by his/her society and is rejected as a result of the attribute. Stigma is a process by which the reaction of others spoils normal identity. (Goffman, 1963) Stigma affects the person's attitude toward his/her disability Judgments of others profoundly influence one's self-concept

stereotype

Stereotype: Simplified image or conception of the characteristics of a group. Stereotypes attribute these characteristics to all individuals belonging to that group. Oversimplification: may be positive or negative

What are the signs of pity?

The "little kid look" Change in voice/facial expression Being "extra nice" to someone For PWD, pity is a 4 letter word

Functional Model

The functions of the individual influence the definition and experience of disability "Two people can have the same type and degree of disability, but because of their functions and environments, they have a very different disability experience" (p. 68) E.g., Pianist who loses a finger, bus driver who loses his/her eyesight Mainly an economic model Concerned with earning capacity of PWD Finding a "good fit" vocationally for PWD PWD no longer considered "surplus populations" Informed many early laws for disabled veterans Technology can assist PWD in their roles Wheelchair Speech synthesizer/recognition or brailler Assistive speaking device Functional electrical stimulation (FES)

(Bio)medical Model

The person is the problem, not society Focuses on individual pathology Prevent, cure, or (failing that) care for the person Disabled people are defined by their illness or medical condition Only 2 dimensions: normal or pathological "The essence of disablement, in this view, is that there are things wrong with people with disabilities." (p.60) PWD are disempowered: medical diagnoses are used to regulate and control access to social benefits, housing, education, leisure and employment PWD lose control: Control resides with professionals, individual choices are limited to the options provided and approved by the "helping" expert "expert-in-control," "omniscience of the experts" Promotes view that PWD are dependent and need to be cured or (failing that) cared for Justifies the way in which PWD have been systematically excluded from society Promotes view that it's the person who must adapt to how society is constructed and organized "The world is not going to change for you." (p. 64) Economic dependence High unemployment Inferior housing Charity rather than agency Agency: Feeling that you are controlling your own actions in the world

Early 20th Century: Eugenics (watch War on the Weak video on D2L)

The study of hereditary improvement of the human race by controlled, selective breeding Improving (i.e., purifying) the human gene pool, often by eliminating "defectives"

What does patronize mean?

To treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority

Medieval Times: Early Medical Intervention

Trepanation Beatings (of head) Deafness: frying earthworms with grease and inserting in ears Blood letting (leeches)

Etiquette Guidelines

Use common sense. People with disabilities want to be treated the same way everyone else is treated. Remember, a person is a person first, the disability comes second. Don't be patronizing. Show the person the same respect that you expect to receive from others. Treat adults as adults. Be considerate and patient. Anticipate what the person's needs might be and offer assistance when possible. Be patient if the person requires more time to communicate, to walk, or to accomplish various tasks. Don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself to know and to do everything "right." Be patient with yourself in learning the specific needs of each person. Don't be embarrassed if you find yourself doing or saying the wrong thing. Remember, the person with a disability is usually aware of and sensitive to your discomfort and your good intentions in the situation. Don't be afraid to offer assistance. If the person looks as if they need assistance, ask if there is something you can do. Do not automatically give help unless the person clearly needs or has asked for it. Communicate with the person, not his or her interpreter, companion or assistant. Respect the person's privacy. Refrain from asking questions which would otherwise be inappropriate to ask of any other person. (Private life, medical condition) Be sensitive to their needs. PWD are much more independent than people give them credit for. Many times, negotiating the physical environment is less frustrating than trying to communicate with people who are not sensitive to their needs.

Visible and Invisible Conditions (pg. 529-533)

Visible Cerebral palsy Down syndrome Paralysis/paresis Amputation/missing limbs Burns Impetigo, Psoriasis Speech disorders Mental illness? Multiple sclerosis? Invisible Chronic illnesses (e.g., diabetes, heart conditions) Bowel/bladder incontinence Chronic pain Chemical sensitivities ADHD Brain injuries Learning disabilities Seizure disorders Hearing impairment Mental illness? Multiple sclerosis?

The Ice Bucket Challenge

Went viral over summer 2014 Raised over $100 million for ALS charities Pros: Increased charitable contributions to worthy cause Raised public awareness of ALS Cons: Self-congratulatory Became about the stunt rather than donations Not actually changing attitudes/behaviors

"Being PC": Using inclusive language

What does "politically correct" mean? The avoidance of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult certain groups of people. Is it helpful? Is it just bull? Here are a few different positions on political correctness... (among millions)

Euphemisms

What's a euphemism? A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing "Negative patient outcome" instead of dead "Collateral damage" instead of accidental deaths "Downsizing" instead of firing people "Slept with" instead of had sex A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing "Differently Abled" ≠ "having different abilities," it means lacking expected abilities "Special"/"Special Needs" "Exceptional" "Handi-capable"

1970's- New Directions

While there was a well-established system to support PWD in dependency, there was relatively little support for their efforts to be independent Key legislation supporting the shift from fostering dependency to promoting independence in all facets of life, particularly in employment