Preventing discrimination and barriers against people with
disabilities and restoring their placement within society
Zeynep Başol
EB1
Introduction
A disability is a condition when a function is significantly impaired relative to the
usual standard of an individual. This includes various physical impairments, sensory
impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment and mental illnesses. This
may affect a person’s participation in certain area’s of life such as social or physical
activities. Disabilities can be divided into many sub-categories. They are mobility and
physical impairments, spinal cord disabilities, head injuries, vision disabilities, hearing
disabilities, cognitive disabilities and psychological disorders. People with disabilities are
one of the most marginalized and excluded groups in society. They are effectively barred
from realizing their rights to healthcare, education, and even survival. Daily
discriminations are usually in the form of negative attitudes and lack of competent laws.
Definition of Key Terms
Disability: is an impairment that may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental,
physical and sensory and that substantially affects a person's life activities.
Disability Discrimination: is when a person with a disability is treated less favorably
than a person without the disability in the same or similar circumstances. For example, it
would be ‘direct disability discrimination’ if a nightclub or restaurant refused a person
entry because they are disabled. It is also discrimination when there is a rule or policy
that is the same for everyone but has an unfair effect on people with a particular
disability. This is called ‘indirect discrimination’.
Key Issues
Discrimination against people with disabilities is one of the most severe issues of our
world. People with certain disabilities have been prevented from communicating easily
with their surroundings and participating in social activities. This has come to a point
where disabled people can’t even walk in the street because they are ashamed of their
disabilities and believe they do not deserve the privilege to do so. Just, addressing
disabled people with another name further discriminates them. Other than their emotional
responses, there is also a lack of appropriate conditions for disabled people to live a
normal life. For example, it is impossible for people with visual impairments to find their
way without any aid or for someone in a wheel chair to climb a series of stairs.
Estimates suggest that there are at least 93 million children with disabilities in the
world. They are often likely to be among the poorest members of the population. They
are less likely to attend school, access medical services, or have their voices heard in
society. Their disabilities also place them at a higher risk of physical abuse, and often
exclude them from receiving proper nutrition or humanitarian assistance in emergencies.
A person with a disability has a right to the same employment opportunities as a
person without a disability. If a person with a disability could fulfill the requirements of a
job then they should have an equal opportunity to do that job.
Previous Attempts
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is responsible for regulating the disability
law. This Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in
employment, housing, education, and access to public services. The ADA defines a
disability as: "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the
major life activities of the individual." While alcoholism is included as a disability, other
socially undesirable behavior is excluded from the Act. For example, sexual behavior
disorders, compulsive gambling, and pyromania. The ADA further requires that certain
improvements could be made reasonable to provide individuals with disabilities equal
opportunities. The Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people from discrimination. It
provides legal rights for them in the areas of employment, education, access to services
and facilities and buying and renting land or property. The Equality Act 2010 also
protects the rights of people who have an association with a disabled person.
In order to provide equal rights to individuals many countries have developed laws to
reinforce their place in the society. For example, the equality act of 2010 protects
disabled people against being discriminated while getting employed. Also, it is critical for
children to experience their childhood in order to achieve their goals and work more
persistently later in life. Their education is a vast part of this childhood experience.
Therefore, it is highly important that disabled children do not get discriminated and fail to
achieve their goals for the future. The law also states that it is illegal for a child to be
segregated or treated unfavorably because of their disability.
Possible Solutions
Some possible solutions to restore the place of disabled people in society might
include: creating awareness for the rest of the community who are not classified as being
disabled. Everyone should be aware of different conditions of disabilities and this would
keep them from seeing disabled individuals as different resulting in their exclusion from
certain groups. The government of various countries also has to consider parts of the city,
which cause difficulties for disabled people. Ramps, pavements, roads could be installed
to ease the travel of disabled people so that they could easily move freely without
depending on anyone.
After awareness is created it is really important for every member of the society to
work on coming up with a solution and help them to overcome their disabilities so that
they could have an easier life. This would also provoke the idea that they could achieve
their goals without their disability standing in their way.
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