How Do People Become Disabled?54 million people in the United States have some type of disability*. Disabilities are caused by many things:
Having a disability is something that a person did not choose to have, and usually they can-not help that they have it. Some disabilities make life very difficult for that person and the people that love them. Other disabilities may just be an inconvenience and are easy to work around. People with some disabilities can have a difficult time going to school and finding a job. Sometimes they have difficulty going in to buildings, being able to interpret certain kinds of communication ( books, the internet, sounds) or finding transportation because vehicles are not made to be accessed by people with mobility or vision impairments safely. This is called discrimination. Discrimination is against the law. This website is to show you that people who have disabilities can be very smart, talented, hard workers, and can do great things. They just do them in their own unique way, sometimes with the help of different tools or medicine. People with disabilities count just as much as any other person in this world. They are valuable people in our society, the workforce and to the community. They are doctors, business people, lawyers, actors, teachers, authors, scientists, inventors, Presidents and leaders of countries, and every kind of profession that you can think of. *Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/freedom initiative/freedominitiative.html |
People That Look or Act Differently People have all different kinds of disabilities. Some people look different than most people. When you look at someone who is in a wheelchair, is very small, walks with a walker, has a different looking face, can not see, has a missing arm, leg, eye, etc., you know that they have a disability. You may be very curious when you see them. They may frighten you, you may not be sure of what is wrong, what they will do or you don't know what you should do. Many people feel uncomfortable when they are around a person with a disability, but people with disabilities are just PEOPLE! Some people make fun of them, stare, treat them like they don't know anything or that they are not important. Some people do not see the abilities and talents that people with disabilities have. People with disabilities can get their feelings hurt often. Many people do not like to see people that are different. Some people with invisible disabilities look just like most people, but they act differently. They may do that because their brain or muscles do not work correctly. They could act in a way that makes people think that they have been drinking, on drugs, are aggravating, or are being foolish. The reason that they act this way could be because they have:
The best way to help everyone, is for people to learn, understand and respect all people, whether they are the same or different. Appreciate everyone for what they can do, not just look at what they can not do. If you see someone acting or looking differently, remember, they have to deal with that every day of there life. They would not be that way if they could help it. People are people; we are all a little different from each other. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. |
Here is a list of just a few of the disabilities and how it can affect people
| Polio | Has to walk with a walker or needs a wheelchair, may have muscle pain and fatigue many years after |
|---|---|
| Asthma | Has to use an inhaler, sometimes gaps for air, may not be able to run, coughs |
| Dyslexia | Has difficulty reading and writing, sees words backwards |
| Stroke | Can have difficulty talking, walking, thinking, and one side of their body might not work |
| ADHD | May do things too quickly, talk too much, is distracted and can't stay still |
| Deaf | May not answer you if they don't see you, and may talk differently and loud |
| Auditory Deficit | Makes you repeat what you hear, may hear incorrectly, difficult to be around a lot of noise, bad memory |
| Learning Disability | Trouble remembering things, needs quiet, may be impatient and angry at themselves and others, feel bad about themselves. |
| Cancer | May not have hair, may be missing some body parts, may be tired and sad. |
| Blind | May wear glasses, have a cane, a guide dog, uses touching to see. |
| Spinal Cord Injury | May be in a wheelchair, might not be able to move arms, could have a tube in their throat. |
| Speech difference | May stutter, not be able to say words correctly, talk too loud |
| Cerebral Palsy | Difficulty speaking, walking, manual tasks |
| Mental Retardation | Make look different, may move differently, may talk differently, may act differently |
| ACTIVITY PAGE | BACK | NEXT |
|---|