Societal Shifts in Disability: From Segregation to Inclusion

docx

School

Southern New Hampshire University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

230

Subject

Psychology

Date

Jun 10, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by GrandDinosaur4012

1 Short Paper: Living with Disabilities in the United States: From Segregation to Integration Kathy Spencer Southern New Hampshire University PSY 230 – Psy-Indiv Diff & Spec Needs Dr. Victoria White October 29, 2023

2 Short Paper: Living with Disabilities in the United States: From Segregation to Integration One type of variable that influences how disabled individuals are treated nowadays compared to how they had been treated in the past is knowledge. Those who have a disability have always been a part of society, although they have not always been accepted within that society. People with disabilities have been seen as outsiders due to people’s lack of education and knowledge. The integration of those with intellectual disabilities within the communities was widely discouraged based on the different theories of the available treatments at the time. Many people would say that social constructs have played a pivotal part in how society has viewed people with disabilities and how they have been treated. Another factor includes that of stereotypes and bias itself. Those come from how a person was raised, and the belief that a person with a disability has less worth than a person who is able-bodied. It is usually something that has been passed down from one generation to the next. Treating those with disabilities with inclusion and respect has been a long, tough road, and society has come a long way compared to those born in the 1900s. They thought that those with disabilities were less worthy of respect and admiration due to what they were unable to do compared to those who were able-bodied. Those with disabilities want to be recognized just as capable as those who are able-bodied. People from the past tended to lack the necessary knowledge when it comes to assisting an individual with a disability to help them lead what they called a “normal life.” No matter how much we work towards increasing awareness, there will always be stigmatization of those individuals with disabilities. Society must remember to treat others how they want to be treated. The cost of healthcare and the accessibility to medical treatment are other areas that have caused those individuals with disabilities to be unable to receive appropriate care over the years. Different programs over the years have been established which state they are here to help

3 individuals with disabilities access healthcare. The issue with some of those programs is that they are not entirely inclusive of all disabled individuals. Facilities often struggle with overpopulation, a lack of privacy for their patients and clients, and poor sanitation. Society still struggles to break away from the bias steadily embedded in our minds. There are examples of society’s struggle when it comes to people with disabilities in different pieces of media made at that time. “Lost in Laconia,” was a story about a state school in New Hampshire in the 1900s. During that time, the school was populated with individuals with various disabilities. At the film's beginning, the narrator states, “The buildings we were allowed to enter showed signs of neglect from the years of standing as distant reminders, reminders of a life once separated, segregated, and forsaken from the outside world” ( 1L Media, 2013). During the video, past school residents were filmed while telling their stories. Many of their responses were that of confusion and/or disbelief as to why they were in a place like Laconia. Years later, they are still dealing with the emotional, physical, and mental pain of residing at Laconia when they were growing up. Children were brought there by their parents simply because their parents did not know how to care for them. Another reason the children were brought was that their child had a disability. Laconia was willing to accept anyone, for any reason, at that time; therefore, there was no actual treatment done for the children placed there. The quality of caregiving within Laconia was extremely low, and it was more of a prison environment than a school. Individuals considered mentally ill were institutionalized, mainly because society felt they were a liability and a burden. In 1917, New Hampshire enacted its first sterilization law, which permitted state institutions to sterilize those confined within those institutions. The influence of eugenics started to come into play, especially within the school. By 1947, there had been a total of 264 people who were sterilized (1L Media, 2013).

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 The teaching of inclusivity has been highly instrumental in how society has been changing over the years on how people with disabilities are treated. People with disabilities are finally starting to be treated as humans, who have feelings and thoughts and deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments. With the passing of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, people with disabilities have been given the same opportunities in life as those without disabilities. However, there are still some who believe that if a person has a disability, they are more than likely unable to perform essential job functions compared to that of an able-bodied person. Society plays a significant role in how people should address their attitudes toward those who are disabled. The more information society can learn about different disabilities, the more we can work towards helping those with disabilities. We can learn how to interact with them and find ways to support them with their goals and ambitions.

5 References 1L Media. (2013). Lost in Laconia . YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UesOm2HT - m2I Muhamedrahimov, R. J., Arintcina, I. A., Solodunova, M. Y., Anikina, V. O., Vasilyeva, M. J., Chernego, D. I., Tsvetkova, L. A., & Grigorenko, E. L. (2016). Structural characteristics of the institutional environment for young children. Psychology in Russia: State of the art, 9(3), 103-112. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.11621/pir.2016.0307 Thorne, S. H., Pittman, A., Meyers, R. E., & Slaughter, C. (2009). Increasing community inte- gration and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 30(5), 891-901. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1016/j.ridd.2009.01.001

Related Documents

Understanding Mass Murders: Literature Review on Perpetrator

Forum ^N 3.docx

Exploring Purposiveness and Congruence in Qualitative Research

Understanding Kübler-Ross's Stages of Grief: Analysis &

Exploring Adult Attachment: The New Science in Relationships

Understanding Psychological and Social Factors in Development

AB539 S&HB Study Guide Unit 4 Ch 15-18 Fall 2013.docx

PSY 150 SA.pdf

Session 2 Attachment Self-Reflection - Jorge Castellon Jr.pdf

NS1881 Week 8 Promoting Comfort Sleep and Emotional Wellbeing.docx

Kia 653-1 Assignment (1).docx

Questions+to+Post++%283%29.pdf

Recommended textbooks for you

Ciccarelli: Psychology_5 (5th Edition)

Psychology

ISBN:9780134477961

Author:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White

Publisher:PEARSON

Cognitive Psychology

Psychology

ISBN:9781337408271

Author:Goldstein, E. Bruce.

Publisher:Cengage Learning,

Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and ...

Psychology

ISBN:9781337565691

Author:Dennis Coon, John O. Mitterer, Tanya S. Martini

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Psychology in Your Life (Second Edition)

Psychology

ISBN:9780393265156

Author:Sarah Grison, Michael Gazzaniga

Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company

Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research a...

Psychology

ISBN:9781285763880

Author:E. Bruce Goldstein

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Theories of Personality (MindTap Course List)

Psychology

ISBN:9781305652958

Author:Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz

Publisher:Cengage Learning

SEE MORE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended textbooks for you

Ciccarelli: Psychology_5 (5th Edition)
Psychology
ISBN:9780134477961
Author:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White
Publisher:PEARSON
Cognitive Psychology
Psychology
ISBN:9781337408271
Author:Goldstein, E. Bruce.
Publisher:Cengage Learning,
Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and ...
Psychology
ISBN:9781337565691
Author:Dennis Coon, John O. Mitterer, Tanya S. Martini
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Psychology in Your Life (Second Edition)
Psychology
ISBN:9780393265156
Author:Sarah Grison, Michael Gazzaniga
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research a...
Psychology
ISBN:9781285763880
Author:E. Bruce Goldstein
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Theories of Personality (MindTap Course List)
Psychology
ISBN:9781305652958
Author:Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz
Publisher:Cengage Learning