Disability, accessibility, and embodiment
The two essential things that I have learned include the disabled women’s plight and how society contributes to their sufferings in different ways. While their rights have been violated, due to social constructs built by communities on their incapacities, they are rendered less human. The most surprising thing is how the society perceives the disabled and prolong their predicaments by viewing them as personal tragedies, rather than empowering them in light of the statement, disability is not inability. However, what is impressive is the fact that the situation is on the limelight and feminists are challenged to empower the disabled and air out issues affecting them in daily lives. Also, despite discrimination, the disabled are determined to meet their needs and overcome life challenges.
Society disables people by how they are treated. It does so through disparities associated with accessing health care services. More so, when it comes to sexual and reproductive issues, they are discriminated against and find it hard to be in relationships as they are seen not fit to bear children. Similarly, they languish in poverty because of unemployment, as they are perceived to be incompetent. Above all, they are susceptible to gender-based violence as they are defenseless such as sexual harassment, isolation, physical and psychological abuse, among others (Pinto, p 470). All these factors are stimulated by society as they are actions that tend to dehumanize the disabled, which is different from merely thinking. The disabled aspire to lead a healthy lifestyle devoid of prejudice and discrimination, yet the society disables them both physically and emotionally.
By thinking of disability in a medical, social, and embodied model, it provides a framework for feminists to create unique ways of perceptions and find combinations of injustices in the community. Equally, it prevents binary thinking when it comes to feminism matters in regards to disabilities, by not only empowering but identifying problems that affect them. Hence, an intersectional analysis is crucial in providing detailed information on the disabled and strategizing effectively on curbing their issues.
Disability, justice, and activism
Radical interdependence entails the essential relationship among people or issues affecting each other. The concept is applicable in the activism issues and society as a whole. Disability activists play a significant role in advocating for the rights of the disabled. They do so by examining the social determinants of health which elicits a healthy or an ill individual (Dennis, p 476). While impairment is associated with the problems in the body organs, disability is the restriction to perform an activity in regards to the impairment. By understanding the relationship between the two, the disability justice system tends to formulate policies to ensure the disabled get equal rights. With aspects such as the age, residence, income, and distribution of resources among others, disability activists examine the relationship and determine the type of disability to such factors, and how to combat the issue.
On the other hand, within the medical model, disability activists get detailed information on the type of disability if it can be rectified or not and put measures to ensure they are not discriminated. A person can be disabled through accidents or other forms of injury and not necessarily from birth. Hence, anybody is vulnerable to the condition, which calls for support and empowerment rather than discriminations. Within the society model, disability activists need to understand why society disables people and create awareness of why such treatments ought to stop. From Pinto’s research on “women, disability, and the right to health” article, social constructs on women’s disability render them passive victims of oppression. Therefore, by integrating information from society, different forms of inabilities, and the medical sector, among others, disability activists get an ideal platform to advocate the rights of the disabled in the community effectively.
Works Cited
Dennis, Raphael. “Understanding the social determinants of health.” Cultural representations and body politics, pp. 476-477.
Pinto, Paula C. “Women, disability and the right to health.” Cultural representations and body politics, pp. 465-475.