Wisdom of the Elderly Overlooked Due to Physical Disability

Physical disabilities are not always visible, but more often than not are. This is not necessarily a negative thing; however it is always treated as one because people tend to treat these people differently and are quite often prejudiced, and sometimes even disgusted or anxious around them. In an article I found, this is explained in an understandable, however still unjust manner. “Because contagious diseases were often accompanied by anomalous physical features, humans plausibly evolved psychological mechanisms that respond heuristically to the perception of these features, triggering specific emotions (disgust, anxiety), cognitions (negative attitudes), and behaviors (avoidance). This disease-avoidance system is over-inclusive: Anomalous features that are not due to disease (e.g., limb amputation due to accident) may also activate it, contributing to prejudicial attitudes and behaviors directed toward people with disabilities.” (Park, 2003). Due to human nature, thinking persons with physical disabilities may have contagious diseases is unfortunately very common and this causes negative attitudes, as well as behavioral avoidance of disabled others.

Due to physical disabilities and the way they are regarded by a majority of the population, older persons who have physical disabilities are no longer respected like they used to be. Many elderly people have gone through a disability as they age as well. “It was detected that life satisfaction levels of elderly people were average, a great majority of them went through mobility disability and there was a significant correlation between mobility and life satisfaction.”(Mollaoglu, 2010). They deserve the utmost respect and should be the most worthy and appreciated members of society. Older persons have a lifetime of knowledge as well as experience behind them and quite often have much wisdom to pass down onto newer generations. However, people tend to judge persons with physical disabilities simply because they may look different. Many tend to believe that those with physical impairments have mental ones as well. Therefore, people are quite often unable to tap into the wisdom of older persons with disabilities. Who knows, maybe if we would just take the time to listen to elderly persons, we would have a world with far less violence, as well as a world with more happiness and fun. My grandmother loves to tell me about her memories growing up, and she often reminds me of how she wishes my generation was more like hers. Though there were crimes then too, she says there were not nearly as many, and she no longer feels safe like she used to, even in the small town we reside in.

Even though I know many people are not treating people with physical disabilities differently on purpose, I do wish that people would take the time to see that they are people too, and realize that it is unfair to judge them based on their condition. Also, I wish that though elderly people quite often go through some sort of physical impairment as their bodies age, they will not be judged and will always get the respect they deserve.

Park, J. H., Faulkner, J., Schaller, M. (2003). Evolved disease- avoidance processes and contemporary  anti-social behaviour: prejudicial attitudes and avoidance of people with physical disabilities. Journal of  Nonverbal Behavior, vol. 27(2), pp. 65-87.

Mollaoglu, M., Tuncay, F. O., Fertelli, T. K. (2010). Mobility disability and life satisfaction in elderly people. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, vol. 51(3), pp. e115-e119. 

-Marina R

Social Democracy and Physical Disability: How we can change

Reading through our group's blog posts, it may seem quite obvious that there needs to be at least some sort of change within society so everyone can begin to benefit from the policies in place in the Canadian welfare system.  Although society may discriminate against people with physical disabilities, physical disabilities do not discriminate among people and can affect anyone at any point throughout their lives; older persons, women, indigenous people, LGBTTQ*, etc.  A physical disability can very easily disrupt many activities, opportunities, and freedoms that should, and could, be available to all people no matter what their circumstances are.  However, we live in a society where people with physical disabilities cannot gain access to many buildings, have difficulty with transportation, are often judged as inadequate, and are therefore denied many opportunities that able-bodied people take for granted everyday.

To give a dramatic example, picture this: the number of people who reported having a physical disability in Canada in 2006 is more than the population of the whole state of Kentucky (Statistics Canada, 2007; U.S. Census Bureau, 2009).  We may know the government is aware of these unfortunate circumstances brought upon people with physical disabilities, but there is not enough direct incentive that will benefit them, and the rest of the able-bodied society to produce any meaningful changes.  In my opinion, the only reason any changes are taking place in the government system that benefit people with physical disabilities is to gain more sympathetic votes, to make them look better in the eyes of the public, or to "shut them up" by saying the government is trying to help them.  I feel like people are losing sight of what is really important and, instead, are getting caught up in making money or enhancing their reputation.

I believe the most effective way to bring about enough change that is necessary to improve the lives of people with physical disabilities is to adopt a social democratic frame of mind.  Mullaly (2007) states that in order to strive for equality within society, there needs to be "progressive tax systems, full employment policies, and well-developed social welfare programs" (p. 122) to provide people with physical disabilities the same opportunities in life that able-bodied people have.  The difference in our liberal Canadian welfare system right now is that people are provided with the equal opportunity to succeed, which in the end is not very equal at all.  From what I have learned in social work, society does not necessarily need everyone to be treated as equals because some people do not need help, and some need more help than others.  One of the main tenets of the social democracy ideology is "from each according to his/her ability, to each according to his/her needs" (Mullaly, 2007, p. 116) which is simply saying we need to help the people who need our help.  Through adopting social democratic ways of thinking and behaving, our society could begin to work together to produce change that will help the people who need help, and can therefore work to benefit and improve the overall health and happiness of all Canadians.

References:

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Statistics Canada. (2007). Retrieved December 1, 2010, from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/071203/dq071203a-eng.htm

U.S. Census Bureau. (2009). Retrieved December 1, 2010, from http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=uspopulation&met=population&idim=state:21000&dl=en&hl=en&q=population+of+kentucky

-Avery F

The Exlusive Guest List of Canada's Immigration Policy

Immigration policy in Canada has often operated like an invite list to an exclusive club.  Canada has its select guest list, and often those who are viewed as “unacceptable” are not allowed access into the country.  We let those in who have money, and those who have an established family here, but for those who are on their own or for those with disabilities the wait in line is often a long one. 

Often the immigration laws in Canada reflect prevailing attitudes of the time.  In 1939 Canada refused entry of the M.S. St. Louis, a ship filled with Jewish refugees from Europe.  The ship had previously attempted to dock in Cuba, and America before turning to Canada as its last hope for asylum.  However, due to the prevailing anti-Semitism attitudes of the time hundreds of Jewish passengers had no where else to go except back to Europe.  As a result, 254 of the 620 passengers died unnecessarily in the Holocaust, and the remaining endured 6 long years of war (M.S. St. Louis, 2010).

This isn’t the only instance where Canada has denied entry for those who clearly need it most.  The Canadian Council for Refugees (2000) noted that in 1923 Canada enacted the “Chinese Immigration Act”, which essentially led to the prohibition of those with Chinese origin into the country, as well as charging a head tax on those immigrants who could least afford it. 

And so, the exclusive guest list continues.  Thousands have applied for access into Canada on refugee status, many from war torn countries like Afghanistan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Iraq, or the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Often, many of these claimants suffer from physical disabilities, largely as a consequence of war. As Canada’s immigration policy stands now, Canada has the right to refuse entry into the country based on physical and mental disabilities of the applicants.  The reasoning being, people with physical disabilities are believed to place an “excessive burden on the country's health-care system”, and thus deemed undesirable members of society. (Kondro, 2002, p.240)

But then what is the fate for these people in their home countries?  Often the infrastructure of war torn nations is ill-equipped to deal with the demands of a physical disability.  I understand that Canada is attempting to protect a drain from it’s social services by barring those with physical disabilities entry, but at the same time, can this country in good conscious allow these people to be condemned? 

-Erin R.

Bibliography

Canadian Council for Refugees.  (2000).  Report on Systemic Racism and Discrimination

in Canadian Refugee and Immigration Policies.  Canada: Canadian Council for

Refugees (CCR).  Retrieved from http://www.ccrweb.ca/arreport.PDF

Kondro, Wayne.  (2002).  Canadian prohibition against immigrants with disabilities is

challenged.  Lancet, 359, 240.

M.S. St. Louis.  (2010).  Retrieved November 27, 2010, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_St._Louis

Brian Sinclair

Brian Sinclair, a 45-year-old double amputee with a speech problem, was found dead in his wheelchair after spending 34 hours in the Health Science Center’s emergency waiting room, without receiving treatment on September 2008.  His death could’ve been easily prevented had he received a simple catheter change and antibiotics. 
Read more: http://www.globalwinnipeg.com/health/Winnipeg+police+launch+criminal+probe+into+death+waited+hours/3680317/story.html

Mr. Sinclair’s tragic death is one that calls attention to a bigger problem in the Canadian healthcare system, the disparity of how it is distributed.  The Government of Canada stated that they are committed to provide effective programming; still the average health status of First Nation Peoples in Canada is still lower than the remainder of the population. (Curtis, 2007)  

The inequalities in health between Canadians should be seen in a larger context of inequality of the standard of living that stems from the historical relation between the First Nations People and the nation-state. (Adelson, 2005) The Canadian Diabetes Association stated Aboriginal people are three times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes (Rellinger, 2010).  The disproportional increase of diabetes with First Nations People must be seen in contemporary context; poverty, access to resources, cultural opinion of groceries etc. It is not just genetics or an inherent Aboriginal trait. (Adelson, 2005) Diabetes is often the cause for the need for amputation (“Canadian Diabetes Association”, 2010) a physical disability that for the most part could’ve been prevented had it received proper care.   

How can Canada's claim to be a fair and enlightened society (“the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples”, 1996) be achieved through social policies when those implementing the policies may have a subconscious bias towards First Nations People? Stereo typing Mr. Sinclair as homeless, who was just looking for warmth within the hospital or other preconceptions of him are possibilities as to why he did not receive the proper quality of care. “What we really have here is a combination of a lot of people who made various assumptions that led to a tragic end,” said Jan Currie, the authority’s chief nursing officer (Puxley, 2009)

We need to examine holistically the causes of health problems within the First Nations community, and how to alleviate the disparities of quality health care within Canada.

 Holly L

References:

Adelson, N.(2005) The Embodiment of Inequality; Health Disparities in Aboriginal Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health. Mar/Apr 2005, CBCA Complete pg. S45

“Canadian Diabetes Association”(2010) www.diabetes.ca/

Puxley, C (2009, Feb 4) Inquest called into death after 34-hour wait in ER., retrieved from TheStar.Com

Rellinger. P (2010, Nov 8) Type 2 Diabetes on the Rise, retrieved from www.northumberlandnews.com

“Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. People to people, nation to nation: Highlights from the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples” (1996), retrieved from http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ap/pubs/rpt/rpt-eng.asp

Neo-conservative vs. the physically disabled

Neo-Conservative ideals benefit only a select few in society, this does not include those who are minorities in society, for example people with disabilities.  Balanced budgets and severe limits on government interference, means there is a greater possibility of fluctuation in the market and no money from taxes. Meaning money that is used for compensation and towards pension funds goes can go down, so people may find themselves in poverty after attaining a disability. If we were to believe as the neo-conservatives do, that mankind is inherently self serving then their whole basis for supply side economics wouldn’t work.(Mullally, 2007)  Ruling elite would always want more and that greed wouldn’t allow the wealth of a state to trickle down to all its citizens. The people who are notably more vulnerable become even more so. But this is a “natural” inequality,  and the need for prejudices is a core value of Neo-Conservatism.

 Though people with physical disabilities may fall under the “Deserving Poor” category,(Mullally, 2007) they aren’t seen as an asset to Neo-Con society, and are highly undervalued.  This sentiment is then mirrored through other actions; minimal financial compensation is given and that it is up to the family to provide care.  To be raised in a society that oppresses you rather then uplifts you would be an extremely disheartening life to lead.

The quality of life of any citizen should be the responsibility of their government, it is not a “private” matter as the Neo-Conservatives would have you believe.  There is not enough emotional support programs available and  not enough program openings to accommodate all the children and adults with disabilities that require them.  Social welfare spending would finance these programs; it would also support lower-income households, typically, though not exclusively.("Spending on Social Welfare Programs in Rich and Poor States", 2004) If a physical or mentally disabled person can’t work and are only receiving minimal compensation they would be or likely become part of the lower-income households.  If we are to be judged by how we treat the poorest amongst us, then our claim to high civilization has been challenged by the deteriorating history of our social welfare policy.(Johnston, 1986)  In contrast the Neo-Cons see the welfare state as inefficient and too big and expensive,(Mullally, 2007) preferring to minimize it further and to privatize everything on top of it all.  So that the government doesn’t run the programs but private companies do.

Companies and capitalist corporations often have Neo-Conservative beliefs and would rather limit compensation for disabilities attained during employment.  When profits are at the forefront the conditions and well being of their employees are far behind. Current government intervention may upset the Neo-Conservative but affirmative action policies served as an effective punishment for prejudiced employers,("Affirmative Action has Slipped Off its Foundation", 2010) and encourages them to hire people with a physical disability.

In conclusion a Neo-Conservative state only benefits the "Trumps" of the world, not the average Joes, and certainly not anyone who is unable to meet their standard of “normal” like people with a disability.

Holly L

 

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References

Anonymous; Affirmative action has slipped off its foundation .Winnipeg Free Press, July 29 2010

Johnston, R.(1986). A Golden Opportunity to Reform Welfare . Toronto Star. Toronto, Ont.: Aug 29, 1986.  pg. A.19

Mullally, B.(2007). The New Structural Social Work. Oxford University Press Canada

Unknown; Spending on Social Welfare Programs in Rich and Poor States(June 30 2004)

Older Persons and Physical Disability

As of 2006, there were about 500 million people aged 65 and older, and there is predicted to be over 1 billion people in this age bracket by the year 2030 (Weir, Meisner, & Baker, 2010).  Since becoming an older person is such a ubiquitous topic, there is no reason or excuse for not having resources and accessibility that provide older persons with the ability to live independently and healthy.

I am currently visiting with a women who is almost 90 through my volunteer organization, who is having a difficult time being on her own.  She is managing, but there are many challenges she is currently facing.  Many of the people she was connected with; her husband, her parents, and most of her siblings, had passed away.  She constantly struggles with being lonely, but there is not much available to her in Winnipeg to help.  She has told me numerous times that she has trouble getting groceries because none of the grocery delivery services will let her order over the phone.  They will delivery groceries to her, but she has to come and pick them out at the store first, which is not an option for someone with a physical disability.  There is also the option of ordering online, but she does not have access to a computer, or even know how to use one.

Since having a physical disability affects so many aspects of a persons life, such as being active, independent, connected with others, etc., physical disability is the biggest factor for lowering life satisfaction in older persons (Mollaoglu, Tuncay & Fertelli, 2010).  This seems like a really big problem because the risk of having a physical disability increases with age.  But this should be encouraging for society to make their communities accessible for everyone, and everyone's life satisfaction will be increased.  It should be easy for older persons to order groceries, communicate with others, and be involved in the community, but so far Winnipeg is not quite there.

In one study, the authors found the best way to increase life satisfaction in older persons was for them to be busy with activities that "give happiness to individuals.  Feeling worthless, nonfunctional and powerless is the greatest handicap in obtaining life satisfaction" (Mollaoglu, Tuncay & Fertelli, 2010, p. 118). 

I completely agree with these statements because I have heard and seen the differences in older persons first hand.  I used to work at the hospital in Gimli in the Adult Day Program (ADP).  The program takes place Monday to Friday from nine in the morning until two in the afternoon, offered to any adults that wish to attend.  Most of the people who attend are older persons without much family support, and usually have physical disabilities.  Much like a school bus, the Handi-van bus picks them up and drops them off whenever they wish to attend.  Working at this job made me very aware of the difficulties older persons face everyday.  The program and hospital were very accessible for people with physical disabilities, as most of the ADP attendants used walkers or wheelchairs.  However, organizing field trips was often the difficult task.  For example, we were going to go for lunch on the River Rouge because it is wheelchair accessible.  But we noticed that many of the women did not sign their name on the attending list.  These women did not feel comfortable going somewhere like this because they do not know if the bathroom is accessible.  Many older persons have had bad experiences with places being wheelchair accessible as to let people with wheelchairs in, but not to accommodate them to every aspect of their organization, such as bars, patios, or in some cases, the bathroom.

The ADP program provides seniors with something to look forward to each week, social support, activities such as crafts, games, exercises, field trips, lunch and snacks, a sense of belonging, and many other benefits.  It just goes to show that with the right program available to older persons, and the accessibility to get there and back without feeling like a burden, older persons can and want to do the same thing everyone else in the world wants; an enjoyable life.  I think Winnipeg needs a lot more services similar to the Adult Day Program that is available in Gimli in order to improve older persons lives.

References:

Mollaoglu, M., Tuncay, F. O., & Fertelli, T. K. (2010). Mobility disability and life satisfaction in elderly people. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 51, 115-119.

Weir, P. L., Meisner, B. A., & Baker, J. (2010). Successful aging across the years : Does one model fit everyone? Journal of Health Psychology, 15(5), 680-687.

-Avery F

Social Democracy and Physical Disability: A Humanist View

We live largely in a capitalist society where individual achievement and success is celebrated and where the strong is heralded. The world is for the most part a world for able-bodied people. Look around, it is not that difficult to imagine how hard it would be to be physically disabled in any way in an able-bodied world. Many places and buildings are still not wheel chair accessible or have little accommodations for the physically disabled. We take for granted that we can go or do whatever it is we please whenever we want. Being physically able-bodied gives us rights and freedoms that we take for granted like being able to drive, go to university, get job or even do something as basic as taking a bath or brushing our teeth. However, the reality for others like those who have physical disabilities is that even the most basic tasks can be difficult or near impossible without someone’s help.

According to Participation and Activity Survey or PALS conducted by Statistics Canada in 2001, “disability related to mobility affects the greatest number of adults”. In the same report it states that almost 2.5 million or 10.5% of Canadians had difficulty walking, climbing stairs etc. and 2.3 million 9.7% of adults had difficulties with everyday activities such as getting dressed or undressed (Statistics Canada, 2001).

People with physical disabilities live a reality that is different and greatly disadvantaged from the able-bodied world. In his article, Empowering People with Disabilities, Malhotra writes that for those people with physical disabilities who do not go to an institution or nursing homes, it is usually family members or friends who take on the role of caring for them, which is unpaid. He also notes that the majority of people with disabilities live in extreme poverty (Malhotra, 2006). Allot of whom if they are unable to work due to their disability live on social assistance.

Who has shaped these policies? Although, our current government is a Conservative government, Canada has predominantly been governed by the Liberal Party since World War II (Mullaly, 2007) and thus, its policies and programs have been mostly  shaped by liberal ideology, wherein the role of the “the social welfare state” is to provide all people with at least “the social minimum” (Mullaly, 2007, p.108).

In my opinion, Canada with views such as I have stated, it is no wonder that our government policies and programs are inadequate and insufficient to take care of the disadvantaged like those who have physical disabilities through no fault of their own.

In light of those issues, we should consider looking at an alternative type of government and ideology such as that of social democracy who believe in “equality of condition” (Mullaly, 2007 p.115) and the belief that “from each according to his/her ability, to each according to his/her needs” (Mullaly, 2007, p. 116) for all citizens. Furthermore, if the government’s ideology is to reduce or do away with all “inequalities of income, opportunities, and living conditions” (Mullaly, 2007, p.125) imagine how that society would be shaped and the quality of life for all individuals including people with physical disabilities would be. This would include better financial support, health related assistance programs and more policies mandating for instance, that all buildings or places have wheelchair accessibility and other accommodations for physically disabled people. Therefore, my sentiment is to lean towards the social democratic ideology and believe that all people including people with physical disabilities deserve the dignity and right to a certain quality of life and opportunities in our society.

References

Malhotra, R. (2006). Empowering People with Disabilities. New Politics, 11 (1), 55. Retrieved from Masterfile database.

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3^rd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.

Statistics Canada, Participation and Activity Survey. (2001). Profile of Disability In Canada, 2001. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-577-x/4065022-eng.htm

-Priscilla