Disabled Individuals example essay topic

Prejudice and stereotyping has continually been a norm in society. There are the 'normal' and those that are 'abnormal'. Unfortunately the 'abnormal' are given grouped as the impaired, disabled and handicapped. Most commonly used, labeling, devaluation and low expectations are the terms and concepts used to identify the minority group. They have a strong relationship amongst themselves as each term links directly to the others.

Firstly, labelling identifies "a person by one or more of his or her characteristics, which are perceived by society as being different and negative" (McGill and Hutchison p. 349). Society constantly define terms and names to identify one group from another. Resulting in a hierarchical societal structure. Labeling enables one to feel superior while the other becomes inferior.

By providing names one may become more confident, all at the expense of the less capable. Following closely to labeling is the notion of devaluation. Devaluation banishes "someone to a low social status based on having a significant characteristic, which is not valued by society" (McGill and Hutchison p. 348). Devaluation, as analyzed by social scientists, occurs when a person or a group possesses a characteristic that is said to be deviant or different. (McGill and Hutchison p. 30).

Such characteristics, often are protected from societal governing, because they are deemed to be deficient. Thus, as it suggests, devaluation is the end result from labeling. Low expectations is defined hand in hand with labeling and devaluation. Low expectations is the effect from devaluation.

By applying the Cycle of Devaluation, it can be easily shown that any given individual that has an impairment; society would create a common or shared view the individual. Thus the creation of a common norm for the unfortunately ultimately creates a minority group of disabled persons. This creation of a common norm towards the disabled, results in the devaluation of the individual. As a result, they are required to undergo therapeutic intervention. Since they are seen as deficient, they are usually sent to service professionals who can identify the deficiencies. The identification of the needs of the disabled, would end with a diagnostic label, thus labeling.

The diagnostic labeling is then grouped within the individuals with common deficiencies, and they are congregated into special needs institutions. At this level of the process, the devaluation process comes into play as the deficient individuals are given a sense of powerlessness, isolation and alienation. Devaluation is present upon them by the society as a whole because of their differences. Deficiencies are classified into categories that help identify the various types of disabilities.

Disorder, impairment, disability and handicap; refers to either the mental or the physical aspect of an individual. Disorder is defined as the limiting condition, which may be present at birth or developed later on. Impairment is the abnormality or loss of functioning abilities, either mental or physical. The degree of impairment could be with temporary or permanent. Disability refers to a restriction of lack of ability to do what is within the range of so-called "normal" human activity, which also could be either temporary or permanent.

Finally, handicap is defined as the result of an impairment or disability that limits or prevents an individual from successfully fulfilling culturally accepted social roles" (Chappell p. 342). Historically, disabled persons have been viewed as a burden to familial units. The basic unit in society, the family, is responsible for providing health care, education and social care for the members within. Thus, when an individual is considered as disabled, they became a burden rather than a productive member within the family.

Further, disabilities are viewed as a punishment for the sins that may have been conducted. "They were ridiculed and certainly they were ostracized by society, often seen as outcasts and not welcomed". (Angelina p. 160). As the issue with disabled gradually become a concern for the public, and care became more evident for the disabled. However, the institutions that provided the care were located in isolated areas. They were deliberately situated far from the public because the disabled were aliens to society, and it was considered in the best interest of society that they be removed and taken care of in remote locations, thus creates the term isolation.

Another problem that arises from the labeling and devaluation is the issue of stereotyping. Stereotyping focuses on a personals weakness rather than their strengths. Pity is taken upon those with disabilities, however the sympathy provided an inverse effect. Rather than comforting those with abnormalities, they are often put under the spotlight. Some of these persons report that others stare at them, continually causing them to feel that are a pitfall to society.

Further the disabled are often dealt with being confronted with intrusive and embarrassing questions. To make matters worst and unbearable for the less fortunate, they are commented with sayings such as "I'd rather be dead than like that" (Rooney p. 71) Also, labels serve the professionals more than they do the recipients. Disabled individuals are often identified by the disability first then as an individual. For example, "governments develop legislation and funding patterns that require services to label individuals in order to receive funding" (McGill and Hutchison p. 30). Through movies, the disabled characters are portrayed such that the audience is manipulated to view them the way the director intends. However, movies are often done with exaggeration, while in reality, the public truly do view the disabled the way it is portrayed.

The society does not realize the effect they put forth through labeling, because it is not upon them. Through movies the audience sees flaws in society when protagonist strongly shows signs of discontent towards the disabled. Unfortunately, the audience undermine their close relationship to the reactions of the protagonist. Another visible separation is performance and ability testing through jobs. Professionals are tested on abilities and skills, while the disabled are testing for deficiencies and flaws. While professionals are constantly encouraged to upgrade themselves to further improve their skills, the disabled are reminded that they "don't measure up" (McGill and Hutchison p. 36) in areas they are deficient.

Self-esteem and confidence are stripped away from persons with disabilities. Devaluation does not allow any room for the disabled to have a sense of self-fulfillment. However, it is necessary to understand why devaluation strips away this feeling of pride. The concept of constructivism "explains how knowledge is created and then assumed to be true". Further it is believed that "meaning is created learned, and shared by people" (McGill and Hutchison p. 27). This represents that when knowledge when created originally has a negative notion, then is assumed to be true.

Therefore, when a negative ideology towards disabilities was created, then the behavior and language that surrounds the disabled will also become negative. Through mass communication, the state has successfully been able to devalue individual with distinct attributes (web). This is achieved through three main categories; language, comfort and imagery. Language is used to label the disabled.

Words like retarded and mental usually devalues the psychological state of the individual. The environmental surroundings effects the comfort of the individual by providing settings that alienate them from feeling safe or welcomed. Windows with bars and rooms without windows were the usual settings. Are they kept safe from society, or are they keeping the society safe from the disabled? Lastly, and probably the most evident is images of disabled persons.

Often this is used as a marketing effort to increase business. Insurance companies are the best examples, they often use images of disabled person after an accident, and portraying them as the unfortunates after an accident. "Would you want to be like them? Buy yourself a peace of mind".

Those are the famous slogans, however, they strongly point the finger towards the disabled as aliens, people that are not welcomed and a visible minority that no one wants to become a part of. As the above three categories depicts, disabled people, although recognized are not seen as a productive unit, rather they are a burden, and society constantly makes a strong effort to alienate them because of their deficiencies. When looking at the theoretical perceptive there are also three distinct models of disability that have been developed, biomedical model, economic model and sociopolitical model. The biomedical model "lends itself to social goals that focus on accommodation, that is, society is obligated to provide a basic level of medical care and health services". This model was used in the Canadian societies before the First World War.

Economic model looks at the "effects of a disability, or inability, to contribute to society" (Angelini p. 167). In this model the individual is seen as someone who will cost the economy money. This creates a view that they are not a valuable member in the work society. This model was commonly used after the First World War when a lot of wounded soldiers came back with varies disabilities.

Lastly sociopolitical model which represents our current trends is a "society that determines disability and its discriminatory social attitudes that become part of the social fabric, part of how institutions are organized and operated, and their practices that often disadvantage, the disabled" (Angelini. 168). Society nowadays creates this model when labeling and stereotyping around disabled individuals. After doing this assignment I learned a whole lot more about the connection between Labeling, Low Expectations and Devaluation. People with a disability are often being labeled and identified not as a whole "normal" being but as being different in a negative way. It is the most worst thing that society created for people with disabilities.

They are devalued by society and are often seen as people with lower social statuses. They are left with the effects of lowered expectations from society. The connection between Labeling, Low Expectation and Devaluation is our society creates an image and idea of people with disability not as a real part of society itself, and not as a person who can also contributes to the society no matter their differences. They are sadly seen as people who are needy, helpless and hopeless.

The views our society carried in the early years are still evident today, it is not that we haven't improved but we are improving in a very low process. In order to improve and change our views, society must work together, to respect the rights of people with disability and give them equal chances on education and work opportunities as each and member in the society. Work Cited Angelini, P. (1997). Our Society: Human Diversity in Canada. Toronto: International Thomson Publishing Chappell, R. (1997) Social Welfare in Canadian Society.

Toronto: International Thomson Publishing McGill, J. and Hutchinson, P. (1998). Leisure, Integration and Community 2nd Edition. Toronto Leisurability Publication web web web web.