Cultural Aspects Of Disability Analysis

The article, “Cultural Aspects of Disability,” written in the year 2000 by Juliene G. Lipson and Judith G. Rogers, describes the social issues associated with people with disabilities in North America. The authors use their own personal experiences and experiences as researchers, clinicians, and activists. Individuals with disabilities also share their own subculture, similar to other culture groups. There has been a history of people with disabilities experience some type of discrimination, including by health care providers and officials’ in their own communities. For example, a mother in a Midwestern town was facing prosecution for carrying her child on her lap on the street, but the officials’ failed to recognize that the mother may have …show more content…
The authors have chosen a variety of evidence from both qualitative and quantitive research. One example of quantitive research that Lipson and Rogers uses is statistics of the percentage of U.S residents with their disabilities interfering with their daily lives. For example, Lipson and Rogers write, “It is estimated that 15% to nearly 20% of U.S residents have a disabling condition that interferes with life activities” (212). This shows that people with disability are considered a minority group and may not have access to many resources, such as education and employment. Another example of quantitive research used by the authors is a poll of people with disabilities and employment. The authors says, “… people with disabilities were some 2½ times less likely than those without disabilities to be employed… One third (34%) of adults with disabilities live in a household with a poverty-level annual income of less than $15,000… compared to about 12% of non-disabled Americans” (214). This poll shows that people with disabilities lack the money others earn that allows them to participate in general activities. Additionally, the authors included a survey from the 1998 NOD/Harris Survey as a quantitive research. Lipson and Rogers wrote, “Forty-four percent were most limited by activity-based disabilities… whereas 35% were most limited by mobility impairments” (215). This proves the authors’ point that invisible disabilities are well-known more than visible disabilities because …show more content…
I believe this article is a well constructed article that gives us an insight on people with disabilities. The article demonstrates the “bias and attitudinal barriers” from “the general public and “health care providers” and many are unaware of this, including myself (218). It makes us more aware of this social issue people with disabilities face and allows us to change our mindset on this group. For example, Lipson interviewed a parent with cerebral palsy, who carried her child in her front pack and Lipson thought the mother may collapse soon with her “laboured and awkward gait” (217). Although this shows that the mother may be ‘weak’ to even carry a child, Rogers’ points out that it also shows her great ability to balance despite her condition. Another example from the article is Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s statement about how “most people he has helped to die are disabled and depressed,” which gives others the impression that people with disabilities are not satisfied with their lives and want death (216). This is an example of “attitudinal barrier” and the authors state, “They do not recognize that by nature, human beings are able to accommodate to numerous difficulties and trudges” (216). This means that its human nature for us to go through different types of labours that may even be beyond what we think is our barriers. The article tells us that people with disabilities are the same as any other group or person and want to be treated equally; and based on the examples in