Emerging Trends in Disability - Essay Example

Running Head: Disabilities and People Living with Disability Disabilities and People Living with Disability Name Institution Professor Course Date Introduction Based on the WHO, disability is seen as an umbrella term that covers activity limitations, impairments as well as participation restrictions. An impairment is termed as a problems that in the structure and function of the body, a limitation in activity relates to the difficulties encountered by a person as he or she tries to execute an action or a duty while participation restriction relates to an issue experienced by a person as they try to involve themselves in real life situations (WHO, 2016). Based on the first ever world report on disability which was produced by the World Bank and the WHO, the number of people living with disability exceeds a billion (WHO, 2016). The figure seems to be on the rise through medical advances, ageing process and medical advances. Identity Identity when used in psychological research refers to the self, expressions of individuality as well as to the groups who which a person belongs to. A person with a disability is capable of constructing a self identity that is not constituted in the impairment but rather on the independent associated with it and thus accepting the impairment as a reality that he will live with devoid of losing the self (Booth 2000). Identity ought to encompass relevant goals and content that are linked to the disability. As a matter of fact, disability identity ought to offer guidance to those living with disability on what they are supposed to do, what they should value and how they ought to behave in situations when their disability is noticeable and also in situations when their disability is not salient (Hughes, Russell and Paterson, 2005). Current disability issues and trends A major current issue for people with disability is the institutional bias in the long term care. People living with relentless cognitive and physical disabilities at times requires help in the daily tasks such as dressing, cooking, bathing, cleaning and even in use of the washrooms. There were times when this services and long term care was provided in nursing homes or in other larger organizations which were highly regulated or in structures that resembled the hospital and they were cut off from the community. As of today, people who are in need of such services tend to prefer the services to be offered to them at their homes by home care aides. In relation to the disable people this is a matter of their freedom as well as their right to choose an integrated life or at times they are forced to stay in the restricted areas. People with disabilities and who need long term care at time have no option to choose where they will get the care (Pearson, 2006). A great number of them have no option since they are forced by state budgets, regulations and the program design into the nursing homes while they feel that they could be better when at home. Another major issue for people living with disability relates to the issue of the employment gap that exists between the disabled and those who are not. Though the employment rate of the disabled seems to be on the rise which would be a major cause of celebration the figures are small when compared with the figures of the non-disabled people who are employed. Besides discrimination, the disabled find themselves trapped in unwilling idleness and poverty as when they start earning money when working the disabled face the risk of losing essential benefits since when they start working they are likely to lose social security support (Fujiura, 2001b). Available data on the trends in disability in the middle, early and late life offers a mixed reflection of the changes that have occurred during the previous two decades. In relation to the children, available data points out the increase in a number of health conditions such as prematurity, asthma, obesity and autism to be contributing factors to disability (Charlton, 2004). The increase s later accompanied by activity limitations that have not been addressed by the increased educational and health screening for the young children. In relation to the adults and mostly those who are below the age of 65 years have some activity limitations, for example, work limitations; the increase seemed to have leveled off of late. In the older adults there has been a decline in dominance of personal care in addition to domestic activity limitations. Another major disability trend is related to the medical advances. With medical advances a great number of people now survive from a wide range of diseases and traumas. For example the survival rates of people with spinal cord injuries and several brain injuries have increased over the years and this can be attributed to the improved trauma care offered in the healthcare facilities. These kinds of injuries in a way increase the number of people suffering from disabilities. Additionally, there have been an increase in the survival rates of children with low birth weights and this has a direct effect in the prevalence of learning impairments and developmental conditions (Fujiura, 2001a). Another major trend relates to poverty, based on estimates from the NHIS data from the year 1983 to the year 1996 there was a significant increase in disability among the young children from 5.8% to 6.8% am this increase was attributed to those children who were living in poverty. Poverty has for the longest period being linked to poverty as a consequence and a cause. Those with disability are at a disadvantage when it comes to access of health insurance, employment and educational achievement thus leading to deeper level of poverty (Fujiura, 2001a). Main theme A major theme in disability relates to the social construction of disability which revolves around the idea that disability is as a result of social intuitions and expectations as opposed to biological differences (Charlton, 2004). Another theme relates to the assistive technologies which play an essential role in helping people with disabilities to overcome or at tomes remove their disability. The other theme is the disability rights and government policies. This theme demands for the safety and accessibility in terms of transportation, equal opportunities in employment, education, living and housing, ease of access and use to the physical environment as well as their freedom from neglect, abuse and violation of their rights. Another common these is more relates to disability insurance. People with disability need to be offered with insurance such as the disability pension (Johnstone, 2001). Coping with disabilities in school, family and society Some of the common reactions to disability include grief, anger, fear as well as shock. In school, family and society setting, people with disability need to be taken care of to aid them in coping with the disability (Charlton, 2004). People also need to informed and educated on matters related to disability and through this they will avoid to stigmatize against those people with disabilities and instead seek for ways to make their life better in the schools, at homes and in the society. Since disability affects a person activities it would be essential to offer assistance in areas that the person is experiencing difficulties. In schools and in the workplaces there should be inclusive programs that address the needs of people suffering from various forms of disability (UNESCO, 2016). For example, in the schools and work place the facilities should enhance ease of access to lecturer rooms and washrooms and other essential places that the person with disability needs to visit and use. This should also apply to the society and in relation to these, government need to ensure that building built in the society are built with the people with disability in mind to ease their movement. References Charlton, James I. (2004). Nothing about us without us: disability oppression and empowerment. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. Fujiura, G. (2001b). The Future of Disability in America. Retrieved May 6, 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11437/ Fujiura, G. (2001a). Emerging trends in Disability. Retrieved May 6, 2016, from http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2001/EmergingTrendsinDisability.aspx Hughes, B., Russell, R., and Paterson, K. (2005). Nothing to be had 'off the peg': Consumption, Identity and the Immobilization of Young Disabled People. Disability and Society 20 (1), 3-17. Johnstone, D. (2001). An Introduction to Disability Studies. United Kingdom: Fulton. Pearson, C. (2006). Direct Payments and Personalization of Care. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2016). People with disabilities. Retrieved May 6, 2016, from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/inclusive-education/people-with-disabilities/ WHO (2016). World Report on Disability. Retrieved May 6, 2016, from http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/ World Health Organization (WHO) (2016). Disabilities. Retrieved May 6, 2016, from http://www.who.int/topics/disabilities/en/ Read More