Being Fair to People with a Disability

Categoriesfairness By Germaine

Content

Being Fair to those who may be challenged.
Definition: Challenged, disadvantaged persons, unjust acts.

Definitions

Disability – a physical or mental characteristic that impairs a persons movement, social or cognitive development.

Challenged – difficulties that arise due to a physical disability .

Disadvantaged person – a person who lacks ownership of basic resources that considered to be necessary for an equal position in society.

Unjust – unfair.

In the Caribbean, there are about 5% to 15% of the population living with a disability. People with disabilities are often treated as second class citizens. They more often suffer from many injustices. They often find it had to get jobs, housing, or access to some important public places such as schools, libraries and malls. Often many people think all disabled people are incapable of making decisions and caring for themselves. On the contrary, many people with disabilities can achieve many things, especially if they are given the resources they need. Most people see the treatment to people with disabilities as unjust. It is better to think that a person with a disability is someone with a “mismatch between their ability and their environment”.

How to enable disabled people to achieve their potential?

There are two models to help us understand how this can be done.

  1. The social model.
  2. The medical model.
Medical Models says that someone is sick and needs to get better to be like everyone else. But this idea made people treat disabled people badly.
As we grow up, we learn to ask more questions and we don’t just blame God for disabilities. Now we know that disabilities are just things that can (sometimes) be fixed with medicine or other ways. This is called the social model, and it helps us think about how we can make life better for people with disabilities. We can do things to help them have more fun and feel happy.

One way to make things easier for disabled people is to change the surroundings. We can change the places where they go to make it easier for them to move around. It’s important to be fair to everyone, even if they have disabilities, because everyone has things they need help with. We all have the power to do great things!

Here are some ways that will help remove such discrimination:

1. Make sue the entrance to schools and important buildings are accessible.
2. Have material, such as textbooks, available in different formats.

3. Inclusive Education. When we include everyone in education, even people with disabilities can join in on the fun of learning and playing with friends.

4. Family Support. Imagine a world where everyone is lifted up by a supportive social structure. A world where people with disabilities are given the emotional, economic, social, and physical support they need to thrive. But it’s not just about the individuals themselves – families need support too! Any kind of support can make a huge difference in helping families cope and make the most of the situation they’re in. Let’s work together to create a society where everyone feels empowered and supported!

Inclusion for persons with disabilities is a good thing for everyone.

Discussion questions

  1. List five challenges a person with physical disabilities experience on a daily basis.
  2. Explain one way you can help a person with a physical disability live a fuller life.
  3. Explain the social model of justice for the disabled.
  4. What is meant by the term discrimination?

Video: Invention of the Braille Language