| A disability as defined by the Americans with disabilities | | | | understand because they do not form the words |
| act says it is someone who has a pre-existing | | | | clearly. People who are blind also have various |
| condition or has been diagnosed as disabled. That is | | | | degrees of visual site-- some have limited vision and |
| the description I will be referring to when I refer to | | | | some are completely blind and have no vision. There |
| someone with a disability. Often you will hear that term | | | | are many causes for blindness-- glaucoma or macular |
| "handicapped"by able-bodied people to refer to | | | | degeneration which occurs late in life, therefore people |
| someone with a disability. Let me tell you where the | | | | who were used to seeing and doing things for |
| term comes from-- it comes from the early part of the | | | | themselves often have a hard time adjusting to the |
| 20th century when people would stand on street | | | | loss of sight. |
| corners with their cap in hand asking for money. If you | | | | Mental illness is a hidden disability. Often this occurs |
| are referring to someone as handicapped then you | | | | due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Some |
| are handicapped and will someday learn what it deals | | | | common disabilities due to mental illness are |
| like to be discriminated against. | | | | schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia often |
| There are many forms of disabilities such as people | | | | exhibits itself by people seeing and hearing things |
| who have developmental disabilities, physical | | | | which aren't really there. Bipolar disorder is experiencing |
| limitations-- cerebral palsy, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, | | | | highs and lows-- when someone is on a high they will |
| and muscular dystrophy. Some of these are disabilities | | | | go for hours and hours without sleeping with |
| from birth and some you get later in life. They limit the | | | | hyperactive energy-- when someone is well they |
| individual's ability to carry out every day activities. | | | | often exhibit depression and will sleep for many hours. |
| Other disabilities are hearing impaired and visually | | | | There are agencies are available to assist people with |
| impaired. A hidden disability is a mental illness-- which is | | | | disabilities. For instance you have the muscular |
| something that is an environmental-- that is that | | | | dystrophy Association, sent there for the visually |
| someone was usually abused in some way early in life | | | | impaired, United cerebral palsy, spina bifida Association, |
| or it may be a chemical imbalance in the brain which | | | | Crohn's and colitis Association, and many more. |
| controls certain behaviors. | | | | When you learn what a disability is and how it affects |
| For example, cerebral palsy is a neurological disability | | | | different people or that having a disability should not be |
| that affects the muscles and movement, but it also | | | | a stigma and that people with disabilities should be |
| affects how the brain processes information so that | | | | accepted for who they are and I'll lay old to have |
| the individual may not show their true capabilities. Since | | | | goals just like anyone else then society will learn to |
| it affects the muscles, it can affect movement-- for | | | | accept its disability community and integrate them into |
| some people it's severe enough that they are in | | | | every day activities. |
| wheelchairs, or it can be very mild so that it affects | | | | We are still a long way from having society accept |
| only either the upper portion of the lower portion of the | | | | people with disabilities being integrated into the |
| body separately, or one side of the body or the other | | | | workplace or even in recreational areas. This is |
| side separately. It can also affect your speech | | | | because the generation who are the decision-makers |
| depending on whether those muscles are also | | | | grew up in an error before people with disabilities will |
| affected by the disability. | | | | guarantee the right to an education or the right to |
| When it comes to muscular dystrophy or multiple | | | | employment, so they still see someone with a disability |
| sclerosis this is a disability controlled by the nervous | | | | as being a deviant instead of someone who just |
| system cell that it is a gradual loss of movement and | | | | happens to have special needs and be willing to adapt |
| control of body movement. Spina bifida is a disability | | | | to each individuals needs. For instance, if someone had |
| that comes from birth-- this is when a baby is born | | | | difficulty using their hands, there is a software called |
| with an open spine-- some of the issues that people | | | | Dragon naturally speaking which is a speech to text |
| with this disability have is a collection of fluid on the | | | | software, which allows the individual to do the same |
| brain which has to be drained, therefore, they have to | | | | things on the computer and someone else would do |
| have a chance in the head. It also means that | | | | with the hands. With adaptive equipment people with |
| sometimes the lower limbs do not function properly. | | | | disabilities can do anything anyone else can do and be |
| Some children affected by this will need wheelchairs | | | | competitive in the workplace or even in recreational |
| and others will be able to use crutches to get a round. | | | | activities. |
| Deafness is a hidden disability because often when | | | | It is just a matter of society changing their attitudes a |
| someone is deaf you cannot say it, you only know | | | | doubt someone with a disability or even people from |
| when they open their mouth as their mouth to speak. | | | | different cultures. Even though people will not admit |
| Depending on the degree of the deafness-- depends | | | | there is still prejudice about someone who is different |
| on the quality of speech they have. But some who | | | | than you are. |
| have complete deafness their speech is difficult to | | | | |