Rate this paper
  • Currently rating
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
5.00 / 4
views 1463 | downloads 831
Paper Topic:

Review the current views, practices, laws, and cultural norms regarding the disabled in a country or culture other than the United States. Be sure to include some historical background.

Review of the Disabled in the United Kingdom

Society , in general , has been developed to accommodate the able bodied The consequence is that dependency is automatically associated with the disabled . As such , the disabled are expected to merge seamlessly with a society that has been designed for and by the physically sound . To effect this integration , the disabled are provided with numerous rights and privileges . However , several of these provisions are difficult to access for a disabled person . In general , the disabled are regarded as acquiescent and thankful patrons and not as

regular clients , endowed with responsibilities and privileges (Stevenson , 2001 .

. 169

The disabled have consistently , contested subjugation and demanded incorporation into mainstream society with dignity . Such people have demonstrated their administrative capacity , as is evidenced by the fact that the British Deaf Association and the National League for the Blind had been headed and administered by the disabled . These organizations had initiated campaigns for obtaining rights for the disabled in the 1890 's (Cole , 2006 . Pp . 149 - 150

With the advent of the 1980 's , the disabled have continually enhanced their presence , and have in the process , emerged as an important segment of society . The United Kingdom was witness to quite a few protests which served to increase the awareness of the general public regarding the plight of the disabled . Notable among such protests were those that had been conducted by the Disability Action Network (Marks , 1999 .

.3

Moreover , within the UK , organizations like the British Council of Disabled People have proved to be very effective in substantially mitigating the seclusion of and enhancing the self respect of the disabled . A similar task , at the international level , had been carried out by organizations like The Disabled People 's International (Marks 1999 .

.3

The act of viewing disability , purely from the perspective of a physician , served to sideline the social significance of this problem In fact in the 1970 's , a child diagnosed with the Down 's syndrome would have been considered incapable of being educated . All this has changed and at present , several such pupils are permitted to attend regular school and take the usual seven to eight GCSE 's . Moreover , there is no segregation by their peers (Cole , 2006 . Pp . 149 - 150

The 1920 's saw a dramatic increase in the number of disabled persons due to the advent of disabled veterans . Several protest measures were adopted , all over Britain , to bring in legislation to uphold the rights of the disabled . The outcome of these protests was the enactment of the Disabled Persons Act in 1944 , which allowed for a three percent reservation in jobs . The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act rescinded this reservation , it is unfortunate , that the disabled are deemed to be a burden on society (Cole , 2006 . Pp . 149 - 150

It is essential to impose restrictive measures on the able bodied although , only to a limited extent , in to accord similar access to the disabled . The Disability Discrimination Act is the culmination...

4 pages
45.5 KB
Free sing-up

Not the Essay You're looking for? Get a custom essay (only for $12.99)