Take a second look... "We are not dead yet"

People with mental or physical disabilities "are not strangers to the fact that non disabled people cannot image life with a disability" (CCD, A voice of Our Own: August 2010). This meaning, that people with disabilities hear all forms of discrimination from non disabled people, saying that "they would rather be dead than living with a disability" (CCD, A voice of Our Own: August 2010)  in this article it explains how disability contains a lot of hardship and interruptions in order to do normal day to day things, and explains how "disability is equated with pain, suffering, and dependency" which "translates into a deadly compassion, where it is seen as as a kindness to help a person with a disability to die" (CCD, A voice of Our Own: August 2010). What this means to me is that, people with disabilities are stereotyped against and it harms them very much. They are not given a second look from the non disabled, and are just seen as people with disabilities, having no respect. 


This article also explains how two people with disabilities "appeared before the House Of Commons Committee, to explain how deadly compassion puts us in harms way and to suggest how to improve medical care and public policy environments" (CCD, A voice of Our Own: August 2010). People with disabilities are strong individuals who struggle with stereotypes and discrimination. Truth is, the people with disabilities need a second look at how many struggle's they go through everyday, and how they cope with their struggles. They do not deserve this kind of mistreatment. If we were put in their position, would we want to be treated with no respect just because we have a disorder? No, we are all equal and deserve respect and rights. People with mental or physical disabilities may be a little different from the non disabled, but should never be looked down upon because they are no different, they are human beings and have feelings and rights just like any other person.


In this article it goes into more detail about the rights of people with physical and mental disabilities, and the laws that CCD has passed about assisted suicide to people with disabilities. This article goes into detail about how assisted suicide should not be an option to anyone and that people with disabilities should not think that they are being treated to "die". This article is a great example explaining that people with disabilities will fight for their rights to be treated equally and that no one should be able to take advantage of these strong individuals. I find it very harsh that non disabled people think of "kindly offering" assisted suicide to the people with disabilities just because they are seen as not strong enough or as "normal" as people that are non disabled. People with mental or physical disabilities should be treated with respect and should be able to get the help they need, other than being discriminated against or looked down upon.


To summarize, assisted suicide should not be a necessary option to people with mental or physical disabilities. Everyone should be treated as equal, and have the right to equal opportunities. Learning from these articles, I find it very sad that society continues to look down upon people with disabilities, rather than taking a second look, just because they are seen as not being able to function as well as the non disabled. The non disabled should not discriminate but rather assist these people because they are no different and deserve to be treated with respect.


References:


Council of Canadians with Disabilities - We are not dead yet
http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/humanrights/endoflife/euthanasia/Canadians-with-disabilities-we-are-not-dead-yet


Council of Canadians with Disabilities - A Voice of Our Own: August 2010
http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/publications/voice/2010/08


- Angelene S

Immigrants and Refugees with Physical Disabilities

"In 1975, after the fall of Saigon, about 125,000 Vietnamese refugees fled to the United States." (Leung, Cheung, & Cheung, 2010) If this was the number of Vietnamese in the USA in 1975, imagine how many more Vietnamese have immigrated to the USA in the past 35 years. Assuming the number of Vietnamese refugees that are living in the USA, we must think of how many of these people have a physical or a mental disability.

Imagine if you were an immigrant. Imaging immigrating just from Canada to the USA. It would seem easy, right? Everyone speaks your language, and you might even be happy about it considering all the great shopping down there! (Ha ha) Now imagine if you didn't speak any English what-so-ever. Imagine not knowing a single thing about the English language, or knowing our customs, traditions, and way of life. This is the life of an immigrant from any foreign country. "Vietnamese refugees resettled in the United States have suffered war-related trauma or separations from family members, torture in refugee camps, and/or immigration adjustment difficulties." (Leung, Cheung, & Cheung, 2010) This just proves my point further about the difficulties that Vietnamese immigrants / refugees go through.

This article also talks about a study that was done. This study showed that 5.5% of Vietnamese immigrants who had just immigrated to the USA had severe depression. The study also showed that after two months of living in the USA, this statistic was raised from 5.5% to 20%. "Without exception, Chinese American children reported being victims of harassment and assaults such as theft, vandalism, or physical attack. Such experiences, proposed in their developmental competence model, play a significant role in ethnic minority children’s developmental outcomes including behavioral problems." (Deng, Kim, Vaughan, & Li, 2009) This proves that going through the immigration process as well as adjusting to the culture in the USA played a big part in these peoples' depression. Also, that in school, many immigrant children are picked on for being "different" or for not speaking the same language.

Now, all of this being said, depression may not seem as though it could be classified as a physical disability. (See my previous post, Depression Among Older Adults.) But imagine for one minute that you are an immigrant, but you also happen to have a disability. As if immigrants and refugees aren't discriminated against enough as it is, if someone has a disability, that would just make it even worse to be in their position. Many people don't realize how difficult it could be to immigrate to a different country. Not only the legal aspect of it, but also the emotional and cultural aspect of it. Reading these articles opened my eyes to the fact that many of these people leave their families behind, move to a country where they don't know the language, and not to mention move to a place where they don't know a single person or how to live the way the people in that country do!

- Amanda P.

Citations:

Leung, P., Cheung, M., & Cheung, A. (2010) Vietnamese Americans and Depression: A Health and Mental Health Concern. Social Work in Mental Health, 8(6), 526-542. Retrieved from http://pdfserve.informaworld.com.proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca/631419_770885140_927929140.pdf

Deng, S., Kim, S., Vaughan, P., & Li, J. (2010) Cultural Orientation as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Chinese American Adolescents’ Discrimination Experiences and Delinquent Behaviors. J Youth Adolescence, 39(9), 1027-1040. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca/content/7l57007258x28246/fulltext.pdf

Depression Among Older Adults

Many people are affected by depression. When someone is depressed, they are not the only ones being affected by it. Their family, friends, grades at school, and work efficiency may suffer. "Major depression is one of the 15 leading causes of disability in developed countries and is expected to become the second leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020." (Räty, Ikonen & Honkalampi, 2006) 

The fact that "depression is expected to become the second leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020" (Räty, Ikonen & Honkalampi, 2006) is very disturbing to me. I have known many people with depression in my lifetime (diagnosed or not,) and it is very upsetting to see how much it affects their everyday life. Some people may have just minor depression, not always noticing it, and not being affected by it in their daily lives. Other people, however, may have chronic depression and, quite literally, won't even be able to get out of bed in the morning. Imagine living with a disease like that. Depression can be a mental and/or physical disability. If a person hasn't actually been diagnosed with depression, they could have this issue helped out by going to the doctor and actually being diagnosed. Although medicine may not cure them completely, it could help quite a bit.

According to this article "medical morbidity, functional limitations, loneliness, and social isolation have been identified as risk factors for the onset and deterioration of depression in older adults." This quote makes me wonder what the risk factors for the onset of depression in young adults or even children are. It seems as though older people are more isolated in their everyday lives than younger people are. Children go to school everyday, therefore receiving the socialization they need. Children also live with their parent(s) and possibly sibling(s), meaning they also get socialization and love when they return home from school. In the case of elders, however, many of them live alone. Young adults may go to university, again, getting the socialization in their everyday lives no problem. Young adults may also go out to parties, the bar, or just for coffee with their friends once in a while. Some older people may not have the option to go out for coffee or to visit people due to chronic pain or other reasons.

People say depression is a chemical imbalance. This may be so, but wouldn't the world be great if depression could be prevented or at least completely cured? I have seen too many people suffer from depression, and have heard of too many people committing suicide because they just couldn't handle the pain anymore. It would be a very happy day if depression was ever cured.

- Amanda P.

Citations:

Räty, H., Ikonen, S., & Honkalampi, K. (2006).Common-Sense Descriptions of Depression as Social Representations. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 52(3), 243-255. Retrieved from http://isp.sagepub.com.proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca/content/52/3/243.full.pdf+html

Choi, N., Teeters, M., Perez, L., Farar, B., & Thompson, D. (2009). Severity and correlates of depressive symptoms among recipients of Meals on Wheels: Age, gender, and racial/ethnic difference. Aging & Mental Health, 14(2), 145-154. Retrieved from http://pdfserve.informaworld.com.proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca/157131_770885140_917180029.pdf

Racialized Body

                An article asks a question worth asking: “Why do we marginalize and Other people whose bodies do not meet the societal criteria of normalcy” (Dossa, 2005, p. 2). Maybe it’s because people feel superior towards them because the “others” are to be considered “pitiful”, maybe because the “others” live in “our world”, meaning we are the ones who are socially dominant (we, as in society and the government). And the fact that the socially dominant sticks together only provides more intimidation and more reason for others to feel impotent; “hierarchies provide a self-perpetuating dynamic that allows the dominated to console themselves through a comparison with yet more degraded people” (Mullaly, 2007, p. 279).  

                No matter how much we say “Canada is a mosaic” or “Canada is about acceptance”, there are people dwelling in Canada who would not agree with that statement. There are people who are branded into minorities that do not feel a sense of belonging.  Mehrun, a Muslim immigrant, exemplified this common opinion amongst immigrants and refugees in an article based on her struggles as a disabled woman immigrating to Canada. Although Mehrun was fortunate enough to be allowed to live in Canada with a disability (unlike other cases), she did not feel like she was being acknowledged and the struggles she went through devastated her ideal perspective on Canada. The Canadian Immigrant Policy does not permit entry of the disabled applicants, especially if they are female (Dossa, 2005, pg. 3). Having this sort of regulation not only causes oppression but it allows the feeling of not being “part of the multicultural and gendered landscape of Canadian Society” (Dossa, 2005, p. 3). This ridiculous notion that they come to Canada with a persons with a disability because of free health care is a generalization. Yes, maybe a few people do have that specific agenda, but not all. According to a different case, Abdelkader belaouni, an Algerian immigrant who is blind, was order by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to be deported back to an unstable Algeria, where his safety will be jeopardized. I find this decision completely unnecessary because the life of a person is in danger.

                Also, a major conflict arising within both immigrants and persons with disability is the acquisition of resources. The notion of “deserving ‘clients’ and the undeserving others” (Dossa, 2005, p. 4) poses as a significant obstacle, especially if you are a refugee or racialized, and disabled. As noted there is importance in knowing the ranking of the disabled; disabled men attain higher status than females and disabled white women have greater supremacy and status than racialized women (Dossa, 2005, p.  2). If a disabled immigrant falls into the category of undeserving others, accessibility obtained is very few; therefore there is a limit to how comfortable your life will be.

- Kristal

Dossa, P. (2005). Racialized bodies, disabling worlds “they [service providers always saw me as a client, not as a social worker”. Social Science & Medicine, 60(11), Retrieved from <http://www.sciencedirect.com.proxy1.lib.umanitoba.ca/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6VBF-4F6MD89-1-1&_cdi=5925&_user=1068138&_pii=S0277953604005611&_origin=search&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2005&_sk=999399988&view=c&wchp=dGLbVlW-zSkzV&md5=738ed859f1fb4e4ce73bc5b66038aaaa&ie=/sdarticle.pdf>

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3^rd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada.

Christoff. S. (2008, January 17). Two years and counting…. Retrieved from <http://www.hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=13828>

“Being disabled is one thing, but being disabled and Indian is a whole other problem”

                Based on a two year study in Regina, Saskatchewan, the disability rate of an Indigenous group in Canada: the First Nations, is 32 percent. Written in this research article are many obstacles that the physically disabled Aboriginals have to overcome. In this study a selection of First Nations are chosen for research and although the research illustrates many hindrances, the most prevalent reasons are their wanted independence, the unstable employment, and the lack of income.

               

                The partakers in the study all wanted the ability to make their own decisions and to have individual choices so that they do not have to depend on anyone else. However, many felt that because they belong to the group of the physically disabled and First Nations, they would not be able to reach their wanted independence. The physically disabled participants have expressed that they have been “restricted from the decision-making process, whether it be in regard to their person or to the policies that affect and control their lives” (Durst, 2006, p. 4). Both factors; being disabled and Aboriginal, deny them of having an equal opportunity in life and being accepted as an individual within a community. Not being able to have your independence can drive a person to hopelessness and motivate them to take the wrongful actions. In my opinion we never really look at our independence in a way others do. We sometimes take our independence for granted and we never really realize the effect it has on our lives.

               

                Another obstacle that the participants face plays an important role in all the aspects of their life. The instability of employment income has undeniably and has always been an issue amongst the Aboriginals and the physically disabled. So what do you do when you belong to both category, how do you support yourself economically? The fact is, as shown in the study, it is immensely difficult to find a steady, good paying job with the barriers that these participants have. According to a survey the unemployment rate for Aboriginals is an estimation of being four times greater than any other Canadian. That statistic is very concerning, but imagine being disabled as well; it’s even greater.  A participant of the study stated that, “Accessibility in the workplace and attendant services are necessary for me. If they are not available or accessible, then I am pretty restricted to where I can work,” (Durst, 2006, p. 6). We cannot be naive and say that an employer would rather hire an Aboriginal who is physically disabled rather than any other applicant. And if they did find employment the barrier of being physically disabled “did not allow for a comfortable or accessible work environment” (Durst, 2006, p. 6).

                Income and money affect our lives. Although we’d like to say that it’s not everything in this world, it plays a very significant role. Without it we would not be able to provide ourselves with our basic necessities. As the participants begin to discuss the obstacles of being Aboriginal and disabled money comes up countless times. They always questioned how they can pay for many things, or where can they get the money, or if a necessity is affordable. Many partakers in the discussion expressed the fact that they are worrisome when it comes to money because education and training, accessibility, availability of resources, personal supports, and material things require money and if they did not have enough then they would have to settle with not possessing them. Because of this lack of income they are already set back 50 meters in the race of life and according to Mullaly, they "will never catch up" (Mullaly, 2007, p. 98).

                 As I read the statements of the participants I find myself reflecting on what I have. Many of us, myself included, do not make use of of the things we know we’ll always possess, such as money, our jobs, and our independence. But how would you feel if you belonged to not only one minority but two? How would you feel if you were not just physically disabled but were Aboriginal as well?

“Being disabled is one thing, but being disabled and Indian is a whole other problem” (Durst, 2006, p. 4).

- Kristal 

Durst, D. & South, S. & Bluechardt, M. (2006). Urban First Nations People with Disabilities Speak Out. Journal of Aboriginal Health, 3. Retrieved from http://naho.ca/jah/english/jah03_01/Article04.pdf

Canada, Census Canada, 1991 Aboriginal Peoples Survey: Disability and Housing (Ottawa, Ont.: Statistics Canada, 1994).

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3^rd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada.

Feminists changing attitudes

Women have come a far way in our society today. They have gained our rights to vote, work, and to have a better image of being just as strong as male individuals.  The women in Canada owe a great appreciation to the feminist groups for holding their beliefs and continuing to this day to have women’s rights acknowledged. As Mullaly (2007) says, “all schools of feminism attempt to identify the causes of gender inequality and to remedy it” (p. 161), as the major drive for feminist groups is to have women be treated more equally to men.

 In March 2009 an article posted by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities says that feminists aren’t happy with the social welfare benefits that women are receiving. The article states that women’s “current EI sickness benefit only provides 15 weeks of coverage. CCD has been calling upon the Federal government to lengthen the coverage period to 52 weeks” (CCD, March 2009). Their main goal is to provide equality for person’s struggling with disabilities, and are very concerned with those who are most vulnerable. Women are classified as the more vulnerable because of the struggles they can face with the workplace, and home life, as well as many other inequalities in day to day life.

A woman in today’s society can have a great deal of difficulty trying to find and maintain a job, as still many jobs are biased to men. This is even harder when a woman is trying to look for a job, and at the same time has a physical disability. Feminists stress the importance of how different it is for women to have the same opportunities that a man may have in their lifetime, as Mullaly (2007) states, “Feminists draw attention to the fact that women experience a different social world- including the welfare state- than men” (p. 161).

“Women head over 80 percent of single-parent families” (Mullaly 2007, p. 161), this is hard on women to live a healthy lifestyle for her and her kids if she is unable to provide for them. If a woman already has a harder time getting a job because of her gender, then what are the odds that she will be able to get a job with a physical disability too? As women are the primary caregivers in the household, they need the help from others if they are unable to care for the family. This is what the article from CCD points out, that it is very difficult for a women with a physical disability to qualify the amount of hours need to qualify for EI.  “Their employment patterns make it harder for them” (CCD March 2009), which is something that both the CCD and feminist groups recognize.

One of the problems that feminists face is that people tend to assume that the inequalities between men and women have been fixed throughout time. This can maybe be from the dominance of men in politics, or because there isn’t much coverage/ acknowledgement of stories that to point out the major inequalities between genders in Canada today. As Mullaly (2007) says the struggles that women face today that one may not realize is that “women have the greatest responsibility for the family”, “women are among the poorest groups in Canadian society”, and that “women are disproportionately the victims of male violence” (p. 161).

As an article from The Globe and Mail points out that feminist groups are saying there needs to be a “third wave” for women, and this time “the third wave, she said, has to be about “changing attitudes” (The Globe and Mail, 09 Sept 2010). This involves changing the attitudes that the CCD article points out, having women’s EI insurance changed to better woman who are physically disabled, and to have people attitudes change about the inequalities between men and women that women are still facing today.

Feminists will continue to point out “ways in which issues of particular importance to women have been marginalized or excluded from the social welfare agenda” (Mullaly 2007, p. 161), including the ways that physically disabled women are still being treated unfairly in today’s society.

-          Jessica VL

References:

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3^rd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada.

Council of Canadians with Disabilities. Make EI Accessible and Inclusive to Canadian Women with Disabilities. 31 March, 2009. 08 Nov, 2010. <http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/employment/EI-pressrelease-31March2009>

Galloway, Gloria. The Globe and Mail. Third Wave of Feminism Urged by Prominent Canadian Women. 09 Sept, 2010. 11 Nov, 2010. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/third-wave-of-feminism-urged-by-prominent-canadian-women/article1701942/>

Indigenous, Disabled, and Little to no Access to Health Care.

For First Nations children living in First Nations communities, in particular, access to services for health related matters, is simply not available in their communities and depending upon their circumstances, many are voluntarily placed into child welfare care so they canaccess the services they need to address physical, mental and or addiction related needs (Lavallee 2005).

This statement makes me very sad. It is really upsetting to see that Indigenous people are less eligible for health care for whatever reason. Everyone deserves to have the same type of health care no matter who they are or what background they come from. Just because they are of a different race doesn't mean they should be denied health care. Here in Canada, most of our health care is free. However, for the things that do cost money (ambulance rides, etc) the towns these people live in should have government subsidiary programs that would help these people to get the medical care they need. Not only do healthy people in remote areas need health care, people with physical disabilities need regular doctor check-ups, possibly medicines, surgeries, etc. How are these disabled people going to get the medical attention they need if they can't a) afford it, or b) have access to a doctor's office or a hospital.

Too many times I have seen Aboriginal children in foster care with certain disabilities, such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I never realized that maybe they were only in foster care to have access to health care. This is another sad point of this article. These children are taken away from their families simply to gain access to health care. Yes, health care is a necessary element in everyday life, but it is a very sad reality that these children must be taken from their mothers, fathers, and siblings. Weren't Aboriginal families torn apart enough when the residential schools were in place? Now the government is finding other reasons to take these children away from everything they've ever known to put them with Caucasian families who can supply health care. Just another reason for government subsidiaries to be put into place. It seems as though the government just doesn't care as much about reserves and these remote towns because of the high population of Aboriginal people there. 

It's really upsetting how the government just doesn't seem to care about certain areas of the country just because they are further away or because of the type of people who live there.

-Amanda P.

Citations:

Bennett, Marlyn (2010). Aboriginal Health—The Overlap Among Child Maltreatment, Mental Health, and Addictive Behaviours—The Way Forward. Int J Ment Health Addiction 1. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy1.lib.umanitoba.ca/content/xg0427p683558387/fulltext.pdf

Social Democrats fight for people with disabilities

From the eyes of a social worker, one of the easier ideologies to work with is the social democratic one as it tends to have a common goal. In this approach, the role of society plays a major role as “Social Democrats believe that the state should carry out public control of the major means of production to meet social needs rather individual profit” (Mullaly 2007, p.121). Their goal is to have a healthy community and to act on people's needs. For a person struggling with a physical disability this ideology is one that they can count on to get the help, and recognition that they need to carry out day to day activities.

In December 2009, NDP leader Jack Layton made a statement to the Conservative government to help persons with disabilities in Canada. In the article Jack Layton touched on the fact that it is unfair for people living with disabilities to have to work harder to meet society’s needs, “Too often, people with disabilities are expected to participate less and accept the barriers that exclude them from aspects of Canadian life. But in our country, it is simply unacceptable that we continue to allow some citizens to go without access to the support they need”. Today in Canada, it is reported that approximately 14.3% of people are dealing with a disability (CCD 2010).

As a follow up in April of this year, another article was posted that says the motion of creating a study/plan for people with disabilities from the NDP has gone through. Marie White (National Chairperson of The Council of Canadians with Disabilities) made a statement regarding the new motion, “Social policy remains homeless at the federal level. The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) seeks new federal tax initiatives to address the disproportionate poverty experienced by Canadians with disabilities as well as actions to increase employment opportunities for persons with disabilities”. The CCD is doing their best to acknowledge the people in Canada about the struggles and outlooks people with disabilities deal with. 

This is an extremely positive movement occurring for people with disabilities, one that I was really happy to read about. As a primary social democratic ideology view is equality of condition, their goal is to make sure all people’s needs in society are met. Many people dealing with a physical disability become frustrated and depressed with their inaccessibility around society. This is a problem that this ideology recognizes, as Mullaly (2007) states, “social democrats believe that a reduction in inequalities reduces feelings of isolation or alienation and creates a greater sense of belonging or social cohesion” (p.123). They do not believe in having a ruling class, they know that not every person have grown up in a successful life and they make it their duty to let every person have the same opportunity any other person would have.

The co-operation of government and people across Canada is greatly needed to make this study a success.  The NDP is involving several national disability groups (trying not to exclude one specific group) and asking them to give their input on the study. For a social democratic it is very important to have people co-operating and working together for a greater goal in society. If there is a lack in participation for motions like this one, society won’t be able to accomplish its goal, and therefore not be able to move forward to the socialist society (Mullaly 2007, p.129).

This is good for social policy and welfare as now there is a program beginning to be created which is aiming to get rid of poverty among people dealing with disabilities of all types. As a big part of social welfare is to help people get jobs, and to begin to succeed in society, this study is a great way to make it easier for everyone.

As a common goal both social democratic and social work believe in are “equality, humanitarianism, and government intervention” (Mullaly 2007, p.135) this new project proposed by the NDP sheds light on all these views, making it a positive outlook for people dealing with disabilities.

-Jessica VL

References:

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3^rd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada.

Jack Layton NDP. Statement by New Democrat leader Jack Layton on International Day of Persons of Disabilities. Updated 3 Dec, 2009. 3 Nov. 2010. <http://www.ndp.ca/press/statement-by-new-democrat-leader-jack-layton-on-international-day-persons-with-disabilities>

Jack Layton NDP. New Democrats secure major disabilities study. Updated 22 Apr. 2010. 3 Nov. 2010. <http://www.ndp.ca/press/new-democrats-secure-major-disabilities-study>

Council of Canadians with Disabilities. Social Policy. Home Page. 3 Nov. 2010. <http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/>

Feminism, power to the people with physical disabilities

"Women have the greatest responsibility for the family, including child care and elder care" (Mullaly 2007, p. 161) This explains how women are nurturing and provide great support towards their loved ones and the individuals they care for. Feminism is a strong movement that shows the power that women have on what they believe and fight for. Feminism according to Mullaly (2007) "used the language of liberalism to demand formal equality" (p. 162) this explains that feminism believes in equal opportunities and fairness for every individual including people with physical disabilities. Women provide great emotional support and care for the deserving.

I am truly proud to have worked with female management that provided equal opportunities to people with physical disabilities, having no judgment whatsoever. It is a great feeling to know that there are a number of women from the feminist perspective that are very willing to help these people, and believe in a successful future for the people with physical disabilities. I believe that every person deserves a chance to be accepted for who they are. In this article it explains information stating that "the disability community has long argued that access to disability supports must be improved to promote participation - not only in the labour market but also in training and education, culture, recreation and the political life of the community" that being said, not only are they fighting for equality in the labour market, but also fighting for greater opportunities in different fields to provide the people with physical disabilities with a "normal" and "worry free" life with more open opportunities. It is important that we make them feel whole and that we truly care. 

Women are powerful individuals and are no different to any other. They are the great people in our society that create positive changes in our lives that move us. Although, "the belief that society's treatment of women violates their rights to liberty, equality and justice, and in addition creates a waste of women's skills and abilities" Williams (1989 p. 44-5). Women need to be more appreciated rather than looked down upon for their great intelligence, support and positivity that they provide. We need this kind of support from these women, especially the people with physical disabilities. 

According to Mullaly (2007) "the liberal feminist remedy for gender inequality is to reform (not transform) social and political institutions." (p. 162) I support this perspective. I believe that reforming rather than transforming will allow them to add more to what has already been started for example, emphasizing more on creating programs for employment opportunities for the people with physical disabilities and providing more assistance and easy accessibility. They are not changing any opportunities for people with disabilities but are rather trying to emphasize and give better to what is already available for them.


Jenny Morris' article, "A Feminist Perspective" Framed: Interrogating Disability in the Media "describes images of disability in the media as "a metaphor" for the message that the non-disabled writer wishes to get across" in this article. I find it hard that society describe people with physical disabilities using the "like" or "as" perspective. We are all whole and no different from any other, we all deserve respect. The feminist perspective is fighting for the right for equality for the deserving people, just as they fought for women's rights in the 1970s to voice their opinion and have the opportunity to be free. 

- Angelene S.

CITATIONS:

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3rd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada.

Enabling daily living: supports for Canadians with disabilities. Social Policy. Home Page. Nov. 7, 2010

http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/#sec-enabling

Common Portrayals of Persons with Disabilities. "They're all the same". Media Awareness Network. Nov. 7, 2010

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/persons_with_disabilities/disabilities_portrayals.cfm

LGBTQ, Physically Disabled, and Discriminated Against!

In my lifetime, I have come across many people who were members of the LGBTQ community. I have also come across many people with physical disabilities. To my knowledge, however, I have never come across someone who was both. People with physical disabilities are often treated very differently from people without. Also, members of the LGBTQ community are also treated very differently than people who are heterosexual. This being said, I couldn't even imagine how hard it would be to be both a person with a physical disability as well as a member of the LGBTQ community. This article talks about a man who is a member of the LGBTQ community, as well as a person with a physical disability.

In the article, it talks about how this man was admitted into a residential care facility, I am assuming it was due to not being able to live on his own any longer. This particular facility allowed spouses or significant others to stay the night once in a while or stay over on weekends. However, due to him being a member of the LGBTQ community, the facility staff felt the rules should be different for him.

In my opinion, love is love. It doesn't matter who gives it to who, or what gender it is shared between. Your heart is going to love who it loves, and you can't stop it. You can't choose who you love, this being said, you do not choose to be categorized under LGBTQ. People also do not choose to be physically disabled. This man, for example, had multiple sclerosis. Most people I am sure know what MS is, if not you can go to this website to find out more. Chances are if you have had MS for a long time, you are either going to need someone living with you who really knows what they are doing, or you will need to be put into a facility. This, again, is not a choice people get to make, unfortunately. Do you think this man wanted to be living in a residential facility? Do you think he enjoyed being taken away from all of his possessions, his home, his partner? The least this facility could do is treat him like they treat everyone else!

I used to work in a personal care home. I may not be able to relate to how these people felt having to leave behind everything they've ever known. I may not be able to relate to these people moving into a room the size of maybe a bedroom, and not to mention having a ton of strangers around everywhere. I may not know how these people feel, but I have seen first hand how they react and how it affects them. I am sure moving into a personal care home for an older person is no different than moving into a care facility for a person with a disability. These people cried, they tried to leave and go home every chance they got, they were constantly asking the staff to take them home. 

My point? Leaving everything behind is hard enough, the least they can do is treat the "different" people the same as everyone else, and give them the same rules.

-Amanda P.

Citations:

Owens, Tuppy (1993). Why this Leaflet Needs to be Written. Disabled and Homosexual 1. Retrieved from http://www.outsiders.org.uk/leaflets/disabled-and-homosexual

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. (2010, November 3). What is MS? Retrieved from http://mssociety.ca/en/information/ms_what.htm