Introduction
Ableism is rooted in the assumption that people with disabilities require fixing and defines people with disabilities. Ableism can occur in many ways, where institutions and organizations segregate adults and children with disabilities. Separating people with disabilities (PWD) from the rest of the population establishes discrimination in accessing services and other facilities.
The sign in a parking lot at the Intercontinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi (Interco) says “Handicap parking only,” which discriminates against disabled people from the abled population. The word handicap is disrespectful and implies that disabled people cannot fulfill traditional roles as well as other people do, and the sign promotes discrimination and diminishes them. The hotel should show support to the disabled community by substituting the word “handicapped” with “disabled.”
The Role of Social Workers in Advocating for People with Disabilities
Social work implies comprehending and striving to improve people’s lives in a society without discrimination. Social work students are obliged to work with disabled persons, their families, institutions, and organizations to ensure that all stakeholders enhance the quality of life of PWD. Learning institutions should integrate simulation into the school curriculum to develop social work competencies (Roberson, 2019). Simulations have helped the students understand the needs of disabled people and the importance of accommodating and treating them warmly by seeing them first, instead of their disabilities, reducing discrimination against them.
Social justice promotes fairness and equity across many aspects of society, such as healthcare, poverty, and racism. It protects people with disabilities from discrimination and ensures their rights are known and upheld. Ableism is one of the issues that social justice is concerned about because it highly affects PWD. Ableism is the discrimination and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior (Eisenmenger, 2022). Having learned that ableism classifies people as less than others, it is critical for social work students to stand against it and confront people and organizations that promote ableism.
Inappropriateness of the Term “Handicapped” and Its Origins
The term handicap was originally “cap hand,” used in a game where one person claimed an item belonging to another and offered something in exchange. An Umpire would decide the difference in the value of the two to be made up in money by the owner of the less valuable article. Later, in horse races, the term was applied to horses tied with heavy stones because they were faster, thus reducing their speed.
The term handicap was applied to disabled children in 1915 and was then used to describe all disabled persons by 1958 (Nias, 2019). The term is offensive because it focuses on people’s deficits rather than the person themselves. Some disability rights advocates believed that the association of the term handicap with sports was too competitive, and it indicated that disabled people should try to overcome their handicaps as the weighted horses did.
Supporting the Disability Community
Recognizing and treating PWD with respect is paramount, as it shows that others have confidence in them and gives them a sense of belonging. Disabled people are among the most talented population, and embracing them in daily activities without discrimination nurtures those talents. Some great inventions and discoveries are associated with disabled people who were accepted and empowered by society.
For example, Farfler, a paraplegic, built the first self-propelled wheelchair in 1655 (Junkie, 2022). The invention might have been modified and improved by now. However, without Farfler, the self-propelled wheelchair would not have been invented, and this shows that society should embrace and recognize people with disabilities because their ideas matter.
Legal Protections and Anti-Discrimination Measures
Failure to appreciate and respect PWD leads to discrimination and stigma. Most of these people hide in shells, and removing them is difficult. Their families experience difficulties because they must hide them from the toxic society.
Disabled people should have leadership representatives who help to ensure the enforcement of their rights. The representatives ensure that the community recognizes PWD to eliminate stigma and discrimination as they face more healthcare barriers than those without disabilities (Okoro et al., 2018). PWD will continue experiencing these difficulties if they are not well represented and the world does not heed their voices.
The Federal law concerning the rights of people with disabilities indicates that a person’s inability should not be the reason to deprive them of their rights and services. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. The act protects disabled people against discrimination when seeking employment, public accommodations, telecommunications, and access to government programs. For example, buildings should incorporate ramps to make workplaces accessible to wheelchairs (Law, 2019). Ramp installation is a policy enforced by the ADA through equity in public accommodations to prevent discrimination.
Conclusion
Having reviewed the origin of the term handicap and why it is offensive, it is essential to rethink the sign at Interco. It is a polite request to the management to substitute the term handicap with persons of determination or people with disabilities. The latter terms are less offensive and show PWD that they are accepted and appreciated in society.
The new words will ensure that other abled people view PWD as natural, reducing discrimination against them. Disabled customers who visit the hotel will henceforth feel welcome and stay loyal to the hotel. I sincerely thank the management at Interco for receiving this letter and for planning to consider its contents. I wish the Intercontinental Hotel the best experience with PWD as its operations continue.
References
Eisenmenger, A. (2022). Ableism 101 – what is ableism? What does it look like? Access Living. Web.
Junkie, W. (2022). Wheelchair history timeline – when was it invented and by whom. Wheelchair Junkie. Web.
Law, M. (2019). What are some examples of accommodations under the Ada? Murphy Law Group, LLC. Web.
Nias, K. (2019). History of the wheelchair. Science Museum Blog. Web.
Okoro, C. A., Hollis, N. T. D., Cyrus, A. C., & Griffin-Blake, S. (2018). Prevalence of disabilities and health care access by disability status and type among adults — United States, 2016. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 67(32), 882–887. Web.
Roberson, C. J. (2019). Understanding simulation in social work education: A conceptual framework. Journal of Social Work Education, 56(3), 576–586. Web.