Homeless and Disabled in Modern Society - Literature review Example

Heung Shing Tsang P. Sahgal Section #1161 22 January Homeless and Disabled in Modern Society Society is evaluated by how it treats the defenseless and needy people including the disabled and homeless. Individuals with disabilities and the homeless are not given the deserved attention in society. In the recent past, nearly one percent of the American individuals were homeless. The increase in the homeless population shows that individuals are suffering to maintain appropriate standards of living. Generally, society has the impression that homeless individuals are irresponsible, sloppy and lazy however, in the real sense yet, there are many homeless individuals that are non- habitual alcoholics have jobs and still remains homeless. Additionally, individuals treat the disabled and homeless in society with compassion while they can offer them job opportunities that give them the chance to buy the food themselves (OBrien 56). This essay asserts that the disabled and homeless in society should be treated with respect and compassion in society by giving them equal opportunities in various sectors including the job market owing to the fact that they can give an equal contribution in society if they are granted equal opportunities. The American Disability Act (ADA) is an all-inclusive federal civil rights decree that protects the rights of the individuals with disabilities. It influences various sectors including state and local government programs, employment, public services including transportation and access to places of public accommodation such as businesses, restaurants and other places of public accommodation (Fielder 67). The act was enacted in 1990 following continued existence of unnecessary and unfair prejudice that denied people with various disabilities the chance to compete on an equal platform with normal individuals (Colker 67). There were proposed changes on the act that were effected in 2009 after the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) was signed into law. In the article ‘Homeless’, Anna Quindlen gives a different view on homelessness. She describes her encounter with a homeless woman. The woman produces a number of pictures of a house showing that she had a home (Quindlen). However, the woman was wearing a raincoat with creases on it. This shows that at some in life, the woman had a home and her life was in order. Generally, the article discusses the plight of the homeless in society. The homeless should be treated with dignity and given the required help to get on their feet. The homeless lack a permanent residence owing to the fact that there are limited shelters. A recent research found that 12 out of 23 cities had insufficient shelters and had to turn the homeless away (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). This article is in line with the message in the thesis statement that the homeless should be treated with compassion and respect since like the woman in story a home and most importantly basic needs. The homeless are not necessarily lazy or uneducated and this explains why they should be given equal job opportunities. Ascher’s article ‘On Compassion’ describes the encounter of a homeless man who approached a woman on the street, the women handed the homeless man a dollar bill. Ascher wonders whether this gesture was motivated by compassion or fear. She gave second example of a homeless man who entered a French bread shop (Ascher). His clothes were stained and he smelled of cigarettes and urine. The owner of the shop approached him and handed him a cup and a bag. Ascher questions whether this action was out of compassion, pity or care. She states that individuals prefer not to be faced by the ugliness that is present in society. Recent research has shown that the number of homeless individuals has increased rapidly in the recent past and we can see them on different spots in the cities (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). From the article, it is clear that individuals give food and hand dollar bills to the homeless and disabled but it would be better to give them employment opportunities to afford a better life on their life. From the two incidences it is evident that individuals should treat the homeless with respect and compassion. For instance, the owner of the shop approached the homeless man and handed him food and the woman who handed the homeless man a dollar bill did so out of compassion, she did no flee or avoid him. According to ‘Disability’ by Nancy Mairs, it is clear that there is inequality in the work place based on disability. The article clearly shows her plight as a disabled woman and her struggle to get representation on the media (Mairs). Mairs narrates how own experience as a disabled woman and it is clear that the disabled are not given equal opportunities mainly in the media. She clearly spells out the views of a local advertiser on the inclusion of disable people in adverting. She stated that companies would not want to give the impression that the products were for the disabled. This shows that the level of isolation against the handicapped is still high and this calls for a change of attitude among individuals. The disabled should be treated as equal members in society. This article is in line with the thesis statement since its underscores the fact that the disabled should be treated with respect and given equal opportunities in various employment platforms. According to article ‘Do Homeless People have Rights’ by Christine Schane, the rights of the homeless are not contained in the ADA and Bill of Rights. The rights of the homeless are being established with time following a number of court actions. For instance, the ACLU/SC (American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California) has filed against the cities of Santa Monica, Santa Barbara and Laguna Beach that their laws against sleeping in public places. These laws go against the rights of the homeless (Schanes). These law suits claim that there are insufficient spaces for the homeless in shelters hence the police should stop harassing and arresting individuals the homeless. Secondly, enforcement of these ordinances is seen as discrimination as stated by the ADA and a violation of the protection of the right to equal protection. The rights of the homeless should be upheld and they should be treated with compassion by different entities in society. Much remains to be done to achieve the standards in society that are required by the act with regards to the disable and homeless. However, ADA is considered the greatest accomplishment of the government in the past decade. This is because owing to the act, society is beginning to view disability in a different light (Hamilton 101). In conclusion, disability just like gender and race is a normal aspect of the human experience that in no way negatively an individual’s right to live and take part in normal activities. The subject is fine. The thesis is clear, though it should be more precise and include the reasons for your position. In the body of the paper, you need to provide detailed and relevant examples that help explain and support your thesis. Give reasons why we should help the homeless and the disabled. Support the reasons with factual evidence. Discuss the evidence to show it supports your reasons and the thesis. Right now, the essay is simply a collection of paragraphs, each on a separate idea with little connection to the thesis. Works Cited Ascher, B. L. On Compassion. Web. n.d. Colker, Ruth. The Disability Pendulum: The First Decade of the Americans with Disabilities Act. NYU Press. 2005. Print. Fielder, J. F. Mental Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 2004. Print. Hamilton, Krieger L. Backlash against the ADA: Reinterpreting Disability Rights Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2003. Print. OBrien, Ruth. Voices from the Edge: Narratives about the Americans with Disabilities Act. New York: Oxford, 2004. Print. Mairs, Nancy. Disability. Web. n.d. National Coalition for the Homeless. How Many People Experience Homelessness? Web. 12 Jun. 2009. Quindlen, Anna. Homeless. Web n.d. Schanes, Christine. Do Homeless People have Rights? Web. 21 Aug. 2009. Read More