It's 2016 and nowadays the world seems to have an odd obsession with diversity, which is neither a good or bad thing in general but the specifics of this craze could make it either or. Campaigns on social media like #BlackLivesMatter or #BodyPositivity are sweeping over the Internet and seen by millions on a daily basis, but one campaign I have yet to see take off in the same manner is something calling for an end to the still present stigma America has with disability.
Why is this so?
If we live in a modern world that seems to be more and more "tolerant" of the differences between people why are those with mental, physical, and intellectual disabilities still looked down upon as almost second-class citizens? Is it because the disability community is powerless to change this or is it more the fault of our able bodied peers who refuse to fully recognize the efforts for change on the principle that the disabled can't contribute positively to a society and thus be rendered as the 'beacons of inspiration' for the able bodied who can be? In this article series I'm going to take a shot at tackling that question but before I do some things need to be pointed out:
Point I
Historically, the disabled have been viewed as a minority in societies and civilizations all over the world. According to statistics currently more than 50 million Americans are living with some form of a disability whether physical, mental, developmental, etc. There are 318.9 million people residing in the United States as of 2014 which when divided out puts disabled Americans as 15% of the overall populous. So, in theory about 1 in every 10 people has some impairment labled as a "disability". This means that the other 85% of Americans fall into an able bodied majority and it's a general social rule in this country that the majority dictates how things will be whether politically, economically, or socially.
Point II
Because of a minority status the disabled have been viewed as such throughout the history of America as well as other nations and have faced discrimination in every historical time period. Notable examples of discrimination in world history include the institutionalizing of individuals thought to be "retarded" mentally or physically in the United States, specifically the 19th and 20th centuries, and the abuse they suffered as a result of being put into such institutions, or the Action T-4 euthanasia program enacted under the rule of the Nazis in the 1930's and 40's which aimed to sterilize or kill those with handicaps as the Nazis did not see a place for disabled people in their regime of "Aryan" and perfect German citizens. These acts of discrimination were rarely spoken out against while they went on, but thankfully now such acts are condemned by legislation.
Point III
The modern disability rights movement most of us think of when we hear the words 'disability rights' started to take off in about the 1960's here in the United States, going along with the Civil Rights movement and a resurgence in the fight for women's rights. It's during this modern time period America saw legislation like the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) passed into law in 1990, the creation of more accessibility in public places for people who need it, and the improvement in education for children who have disabilities because of 504 or IEP plans that grant them the accomadations they need to succeed in the classroom. But as more laws are written and passed to aid the disability community, able bodied Americans must also realize that this is simply not enough and to full break down the barrier of ability vs. disability social change must accompany political change.
