Physical impairment is part of human life. From the past years, people would suffer and get injuries that would cause deformation in their bodies but still would live for several years. However, physical impairment of the body led to stigmatization as it was viewed negatively by the society. Some cultures see people with disabilities quite differently, and it may lead to some psychological torture. For instance, according to Shakespeare, physical impairment is the restriction to attain a particular state while the disability is a consequence categorizing physical impairment into a disempowered state (Barrett et al., 2015). The definitions showed above demonstrates the hostility of some societies towards the physical impaired people. Indeed, this paper will focus on various psychologies of disabilities by focusing on individual objectives.
The psychology of disability
A disability is a condition that is impaired as compared to the usual living standards of individuals. In most cases, the term disability refers the functioning of a person, the impairment of the sensory organs, both intellectual and cognitive impairment, mental illness, as well as, other types of chronic diseases. Disability is categorized into a mental and physical disability that inhibits an individual from carrying out their daily activities. Physical disability is classified further into mobility impairments such as upper limb and lower limb disability that can be acquired at birth or may develop in a person due to age. The upper and lower limb disability affect the mobility of an individual, and they may spend the rest of their lives in a wheelchair. lives. Another type of upper and lower limb disability is the spinal cord impairment that occurs due to accidents or in some cases; it could be acquired at birth. Mental disabilities can be categorized into brain disability that could be received or may result from trauma. The extent of brain injury ranges from mild to severe. Every category of invalidity mentioned in this section may lead a person into feeling left out in the society hence preventing the indulgence in community activities.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
In the traditional past, the disabled people were viewed with contempt. Most individuals thought that the physically impaired persons were cursed. As a result, they would alienate from them. In addition to that, some parents of the physically impaired persons would reject them by not taking them to school (Rosa et al., 2016). Those who had the privilege of attending schools could not secure jobs in any institutions. However, the rise of various movements such as the human rights commissions and different groups fighting for the rights of the people living with disabilities were formed and societies gained the acceptance of life with the physically impaired individuals. In the modern experience of the people living with a disability, most of the individuals go to select schools that have been set up especially for the blind and the deaf people while the people with various upper and lower limbs injuries attend regular schools. Moreover, most of the jobs employ anyone regardless of their physical abilities but due to their qualifications. As a result, people confined to a wheelchair are CEOs in some companies today while some institutions have blind people as their employees.
Ableism is a term used to describe discrimination against the people living with disabilities. In most ableist societies, non-disabled individuals are viewed as the average living standards. In such cases, most of the people living with disabilities lack some social privileges such as acquiring education, jobs, and other services in society. In most of the traditional cultures, the physically impaired people are viewed to be demon possessed or under a witchcraft. Some communities claim that the disabled people are under punishment from God due to their sinful nature. Inclusion means change whereby societies are urged to modify and accept the physically impaired individuals in the communities. The term inclusion has allowed most of the societies to have a different mindset on the disabled people and treat them with equal privileges as compared to others. Moreover, the people with disabilities have the same civil rights and can make choices just as the non-disabled persons. The independent living movement is tied to the civil rights movements that share fundamental issues affecting people in the society. The groups have played a substantial role in ensuring that the communities accept people living with disabilities.
Some of the past social beliefs and attitudes that led to the discrimination of the citizens living with disabilities include the fact that in the past disability was viewed as witchcraft or the individuals with the disabilities were considered to be demon possessed. As a result, the society would alienate itself from such people resulting in stigma. In the present, some institutions believe that employing a disabled person would lead to the lack of progress in jobs. As a result, most organizations prefer giving employment to the non-disabled persons. Hence, one of the major current problems affecting the disabled persons today is the lack of jobs regardless of their professionalism.
Most movements have been formed in most states of the world to allow people to accept and treat the people living with disabilities equally. Besides that, the disabled people have voiced their opinions claiming for equal treatment in the societies. Schools have been built to allow people with disabilities such as the impairment of the eyes and the ears could attend. In most cases, the people living with disability that belong to a particular race, religion or group that is considered inferior lack privileges as compared to other minority groups. The same ill treatment that is placed on the minority groups in most states today is positioned among the people living with disabilities that belong to those races. For instance, the black population living with disabilities do not acquire jobs and in some cases; some fail to secure employment in any institution despite their qualifications. As a result, in most white states, it is quite unfortunate to belong to a minority group and being disabled at the same time.
Various integrations can be used to include the people living with disabilities and improve their quality of life as well. For instance, campaigns and awareness programs should be started that help in teaching people that disability is not inability, but it results from a variety of failed organs in the body that have no remedy. By doing so, most people would learn to appreciate people with disabilities in the society while respecting their civil rights as well. The way in which communities address the disabled people is a significant factor in that it may result in stigma or may lead a disabled person to feel appreciated and wanted in the society. Critically, the people living with disabilities lack a high self-esteem that results from cultural, as well as, societal oppression. Most people use harsh terms to refer to the disabled persons that may lead to feelings of oppression. Therefore, the communities should change in the way they relate to the people living with disabilities.
Some of the theories that have had a positive impact on the people living with disabilities include the fact that disability does not cause any change to an individual does not do it make them less of a person. Thus, this has helped them feel accepted in the society and have learned to live with their condition. Some of my personal attitudes towards the people living with a disability include the fact that I view them as equal beings in the society who deserve to experience the same privileges as those of the non-disabled persons. My opinion on disability may conflict with the social perspective of the fact that disabled people may slow down the progress of an organization once they are employed. However, various movements have been formed such as the Human with Disability Movement that I can partner with to fight for the rights of the people living with disabilities. Programs and policies regarding disabilities and inclusion have been formed such as the independent activity movement that helps in ensuring that most people appreciate disability in the society and respect the civil rights of the disabled persons as well.
The purpose of the family in the life of a disabled person would be to encourage them, to take them for any required therapy and the young ones; the role of the parents is to give them the education. Importantly, the media has played a significant role in influencing the thoughts of individuals on the people living with a disability by bringing advertisements with slogans such as “Disability is not Inability” that helps in ensuring that people accept and treat the people living with disabilities equally in the communities. However, In America, most of the disabled persons still lack places to work hence most of them are discriminated in that they are qualified to join a particular company, but their disabilities prevent them. As a result, they experience long wasted years of education.
Conclusion
Disability is an issue that has been raised since the rise of the civil rights movement. As seen in this paper, the rights of the disabled persons have been ignored both in the past and in the present resulting in stigma in the society. However, various movements have been formed that have ensured that the rights of the people living with disabilities are met. Discrimination in places of work is still a problem that is experienced in most states today. Therefore, this paper focuses on the psychology of disability and the various cultural perceptions of physical impairment.
References
Barrett, C. A., Cottrell, J. M., Newman, D. S., Pierce, B. G., Anderson, A., & Hitchcock, J. (2015). Training School Psychologists to Identify Specific Learning Disabilities: A Content Analysis of Syllabi. School Psychology Review , 44 (3), 271-288.
Rosa, N. M., Bogart, K. R., Bonnett, A. K., Estill, M. C., & Colton, C. E. (2016). Teaching About Disability in Psychology. Teaching Of Psychology , 43 (1), 59-62.
