The+Disabled+of+the+Modern+Day

Disabled or Normal? People are locked up in enormous white rooms, padded at the walls with cushions. Others sit on the sidelines during the football games, knowing it is not their fault that they cannot be on that field. The disabled-the people who are born without the ability to be normal-dream every day about the time when they can finally be perceived as the same. Sadly, they are forced to accept the reality that this desire may never happen… but why must they accept this reality? They cannot change their disabilities, but “normal” people can change the way they view these disabled. In truth, the disabled population in society, unjustly portrayed as insane, inhuman, dangerous, and otiose, has as much to offer to the world as the common population does; in fact, most people have //some// form of disability and therefore most people are technically disabled themselves. What does it mean to refer to someone as “disabled”? The generalization of disabled people in modern society is a minority population in which each individual has at least one disability that restricts himself or herself from functioning like a normal person, is discriminated and seen as inferior by “normal” people, and is aware of his or her handicap while striving to act normal. The disabled as a whole have handicaps and are discriminated against due to these handicaps. The issue of the discrimination of the disabled roots on the principle that they have handicaps that make them seem extremely abnormal. When a person must use a wheelchair in order to enter a room or a person with a mental illness simply has a peculiar countenance, people immediately exchange odd, confused, even disgusted glances, repulsed by the thought of being in a room with someone who is so different. People see themselves as better than the disabled, so they almost feel offended that they would be put in a room with a person who is “inferior” to them. This public feels the obligation to deal with the disabled unfairly, ignoring the fact that the disabled are also human. Also, this prejudice against the disabled exposes a person’s natural tendency to automatically discriminate when met with differences. People believe they must sort out the good from the bad among the disabled and the “normal,” and, more often than not, the disabled are classified as the bad. Regardless of all this negative pressure placed upon the disabled, they are well aware of their disabilities hindering them from acting normal, and they often go to the extra length of trying to adapt to these disabilities, even when this goal is probably impossible. As is observable in the human condition, people naturally cope with problems in attempt to fit in with society and meet societal expectations of “normalcy.” However, because it is not within the capabilities of the disabled to be entirely “normal,” while trying to fit in the disabled typically further distance themselves from “normalcy.” Similar to other people, disabled people are unwilling to accept that their natural differences should limit them from being normal. They reject the notion that they should be seen as inferior since they do not directly, if at all, cause their handicaps. The unfortunate general, although brutal, depiction of the disabled shows people with handicaps as a threat to society and as a people who lacks self-control. Almost always because of the media, the disabled are seen as dangerous. The article “Super Heroes & The Tragic” discusses how the disabled are considered evil and dangerous when they have done nothing wrong. The perception that the disabled are evil is entirely invalid because there is no substantial proof that the disabled tend to be crueler than the “normal.” It is entirely unjust, therefore, to assume that the disabled are evil and dangerous. Also, the article “The Representation of Disability” supports that people misinterpret the differences of disabled people as abilities to inflict pain. According to the article, people accustom to certain other people that they are used to being around; thus, when met with people who do not seem normal, “normal” people tend to assume that these abnormal people are in fact dangerous. They assume that the disabilities are a peculiar result of having a sinister mind. In addition, in the novel //[|The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]//, Mr. Hyde is portrayed as a villain because of his physical deformities. He is viewed as a monster and is therefore feared by society. This villainous image of the disabled exemplifies how people consider the disabled as a dangerous, draconian race. On top of being evil, the disabled are often seen to be not human enough to control themselves. In reality, Dr. Jekyll actually has a mental condition called split personality, but people ignore this truth and fear this human nonetheless. According to the UK Mental Deficiency Act of 1913, a true law that was listed in the article [|“The History of Attitudes to Disabled People,”] the mentally defective can be categorized into four broad types: idiots, imbeciles, the feeble-minded, and the morally defective. Firstly, classifying other humans is immediately dehumanizing them by stripping them of their right to determine what they are on their own. Also, the act allows citizens to perceive the disabled as inferior to and more pathetic than these common people. The act also includes a portion that states that the disabled need protection and care for the sake of the common people. From solely the act, one would be forced to assume that the disabled are not human enough to care for themselves and need the aid of others just to survive. The article “The History of Attitudes to Disabled People” reveals that the disabled are and have been viewed as futile wastes of space, not ideal, wrong, different, and lesser throughout time. It is clear that the issue of accepting the disabled as equal has been a problem to humanity since its existence as humans naturally view these people as lesser beings. People see humans as a single race but do not include the disabled as part ofthis race. In the novel //One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest//, the disabled are placed in an insane asylum where they are mocked and mistreated, instead of cared for, by the attendants simply because they act as though they are not normal. The nurses act as dictators, taking the mentally disabled as though they are pests who disgust and spoil society. Nurse Ratched especially punishes more than treats the patients, as though they have intentionally polluted the very population. This concept carries forth into all “normal” people to some degree, who rarely, if ever, treat the disabled as their sheer equals. People often repudiate this reality because they do not want to damage their own reputations, but it is evident that “normal” people believe the disabled are both dangerous and inferior. It is severely regrettable that the egalitarian assumption of the disabled is a horrified and inhuman perception.

Contrary to common beliefs, disabilities exist in almost everyone, making the vast majority of the global population disabled; also, disabled people contribute to the world in ways at least as great as those in which “normal” people do so. Most people are disabled, making this ideal notion of a “normal” person utterly nonexistent and quite flawed at best. In fact, according to the article [|“Famous People with Disabilities,”] many of the most impactful leaders to live have had disabilities. For example, Abraham Lincoln, who unified the United States in a time of conflict and turmoil, was born with mood disorders. John F. Kennedy, to many US citizens the most remarkable and revolutionary president in history, had asthma, and Ronald Reagan, another American president, had dementia. Disabilities may have even shaped these leaders into the characters they became, making them strong enough to change the world by forcing them to fight through not being the same. These people have proven that one can overcome disabilities as well as rise to and meet the challenge of accomplishing more than what many “normal” could. As described in detail in the //TIME// magazine article [|“The Miracle HELEN KELLER,”] Helen Keller specifically was one of the most influential women in history and perhaps the most remarkable example of a person overcoming extreme disabilities to achieve the supposedly unachievable. Helen Keller, considered a miracle brought to Earth, was both deaf and blind. She provided the world the revelation that the disabled //can// adapt to these hindrances and assist society by learning to use her other 3 senses to guide her and make her function like an ordinary person; she also helped ameliorate the conventional view of the disabled by teaching many blind and/or deaf people to command their senses in a way that allowed them to function similar to an ordinary person. The world experienced an epiphany through Keller’s ventures that the disabled are in fact just as human as the “normal” population and can do just what the “normal” population can do. Now, to some degree thanks to Helen Keller, the disabled contribute to the world and help in its development. In //Lord of the Flies//, Simon, who has epilepsy, actually represents order in a dysfunctional savage society that a stranded group of boys has become. In the novel he serves as a reminder of the goodness and innocence that are truly hidden inside the disabled. The contrast between Simon’s ability to hold onto civilization and that of the other “normal” boys shows the peculiar potential for the disabled to even better //more// level-headed at times than the “normal” people. Also, as discussed previously, according to the article “Famous People with Disabilities,” influential leaders, such as many presidents, have had disabilities, yet they have had the courage, charisma, and will to end wars and create more political unity around the globe. They have brought together nations, reformed governments, advanced technology, and increased cultural awareness. Many of these elements determine the standard of living in societies in the present day. Hence, disabled people, truthfully //most// people, are responsible for many social aspects of the present world.

The view of the disabled in modern day is rather confused as it disregards the accurate and positive qualities of the disabled. While the media falsely conveys the disabled as ill monsters terrorizing the public, the disabled actually contribute to the overall development of this planet. People ignore the very fact that they themselves could be disabled, and, instead, they choose to pick out the flaws in the disabled and be disgusted by these differences. However, it is evident that the overall contributions to the world by the disabled are outstanding, and the disabled have actually been the remnants of “normalcy” and civility in times of hardship that have driven “normal” people to panic and the inability to control themselves. The debate over the true qualities of the disabled and the wrongness in the prejudice against the disabled raises an intriguing question: where would the world be without the disabled? -Anirudh Sivakumar

Works Cited “Disabling Imagery? Ways of Thinking about Disability: The History of Attitudes to Disabled People.” __British Film Institute.__ Web. 24 Nov. 2011. <[]>.

"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) - YouTube." //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. // Web. 04 Jan. 2012. []. “Famous People with Disabilities.” __Disabled World-Disability Community News Information and Educational Videos on Disabilities.__ 18 May 2006. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <[]>.

Golding, William. __Lord of the Flies.__ New York, NY: Penguin, 2003. Print.

Kesey, Ken. __One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.__ New York, NY: Viking, 1973. Print.

Schuur, Diane, and David Jackson. “The Miracle HELEN KELLER.” __Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews-TIME.com.__ TIME Magazine, 14 June 1999. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <[]>.

Stevenson, Robert Louis. __The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.__ Ann Arbor, MI: Ann Arbor Media Group, 2006. Print.

“The Representation of Disability.” __Outside-centre.info.__ Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <[]>.

UK Mental Deficiency Act of 1913. Print.

Wood, Lucy. “Super Heroes & The Tragic.” __Media Representation of Disabled People.__ Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <[]>.