Summary
I am deeply concerned by the "better dead than disabled" philosophy that seems to permeate much of the popular culture and media discussion of disability issues. People with disabilities are rarely included in this dialogue. The whole tenor of the debate leaves me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. When did quality of life become conflated with worthiness to live? The collective social understanding of what disability is or is not appears deplorably primitive, almost visceral in nature. The de-humanizing language in the midst of the discussion would seem to give license to "lives less worthy." Such notions hark back to a darker time in history. There is an apparent level of privilege associated with recognized levels of physical and mental acuity.
Social assumptions, including reactions to perceived differences, appear to reflect ancient belief systems ingrained in the collective social consciousness, ones arguably rooted in fear and limited knowledge. People with disabilities are frequently perceived as "aliens on the scene," chronically out of place. This may result in the 'private' issues for the people concerned becoming strangely available for public consumption, a dubious form of inclusion. The very core of the issue is that the standard assumptions are far too narrowly drawn and rarely subject to question or critique. Society frequently displays a lack of creativity and flexibility with such matters.See the full content of this document
Extract
I Am Feeling Increasingly Vulnerable
Nancy Hansen
WHO counts?According to the latest Statistics Canada survey, one in seven Canadians or 4.4 million people report some form of disability. Dec. 3 was the International Day of Disabled Persons. Its purpose is to promote t...See the full content of this document
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