Ableism In America

In modern American society, both inside and outside the workplace, people who show visible signs of any form of handicap are frequently discriminated against for mostly, if not specifically, that reason. With 19% of the population of total citizens in the United States of America, disabled Americans make up a sizable amount of adults that are living in the same conditions as average, able-bodied Americans (Nearly 1 in 5 People Have a Disability in the U.S., Census Bureau Reports). The prejudice against the disabled for nothing more than their handicap is commonly referred to as ableism; indeed, even with such a large amount of the population on their side, the disabled have not yet reached equality in comparison to the able-bodied. Though …show more content…
Ableism continues to display itself in various settings across America; whether it is in an area of work, a courtroom, or even in Hollywood, the disabled are still treated as lesser citizens. Due to the millions of differing views and beliefs that everyone in America has, it is difficult to say that ableism could ever be completely abolished in society no matter the subject at hand; however, if an end to disabled discrimination were to be achievable, it could possibly be reached by more patience when dealing with the disabled, as well as an effort to understand that, despite their disadvantage, they are just as human as anyone …show more content…
The multiple forms of discrimination can range from minor inconveniences to basic human rights being refused to the disabled. On the “minor” side of the disabled discrimination spectrum, restaurants in the United States are not required to include braille on their menus for the blind; as a result, they may have to rely on the able-sighted to read their menus to them. A more urgent example of discrimination against the disabled is the ongoing debate on whether adults with mental disabilities, most commonly Down Syndrome, should be allowed to procreate. According to The National Down Syndrome Society, “Between 35 and 50 percent of children born to mothers with Down Syndrome are likely to have trisomy 21 or other developmental disabilities;” this statistic gives the able-bodied a logical argument against the procreation of people with mental disabilities (Hirsch). The disabled, regardless of where they lie on the social discrimination spectrum, are not given many accommodations in society for their affliction aside from a closer parking space; moreover, they are constantly misrepresented and insulted through popular culture and various types of