Advocates often overlook the fact that it can take years to learn to interpret the electrical signals the implant sends to the auditory nerve. Without consulting with people who are deaf or hard of hearing, hearing people often incorrectly assume that cochlear implants quickly “cure” hearing loss. The push for cochlear implants is an example of how well-intending people try to push “cures” on people with disabilities. The medical community especially must consider input from people with disabilities when encouraging treatment options and respect their decisions. This message devalues a major part of the identity of people with disabilities.ĭisability advocates should spend time developing ways to make the world more accessible to everyone, not just focusing on cures. It suggests that the disability is so terrible it should be eliminated. However, it sends the message that the disability is merely a problem that they should solve. The intention is that people with disabilities may have an easier life without the disability. Many non-disabled people try to be allies for people with disabilities by fighting for “cures” for disabilities. A “cure” isn’t always bestĪlong with inventions, well-meaning concepts and attitudes can also be detrimental to people with disabilities. Had he asked someone who is blind, he would have understood that people don’t need to have sight to know right from left, up from down, and where their limbs are in space. His good intentions failed to consider what a person who is actually blind might need or want. The inventor imagined that without sight, people would have no frame of reference to position their bodies- left, right, up, down, back, or front. Moving without seeingĪnother “helpful” invention was a yoga mat with raised indicators to help people who are blind position themselves while practicing yoga. He never thought to seek input from them. The person developing this tool assumed that people who are blind would need this item. People who cannot see are no exception they brush their teeth without thinking much about it just like anyone else. However, most people don’t actually need to see their teeth to be able to brush them. The number of well-intended inventions by non-disabled inventors that are utterly impractical, or even absurd, demonstrates the need for people with disabilities to have input into things that affect them Brushing while blindįor example, a toothbrush was designed with a wider handle and two brush heads that come together at a 90-degree angle so that people who cannot see to brush their teeth can reach every angle. It has become a battle cry for people with disabilities who work to gain equal representation for legislation and other decisions regarding their needs and accommodations. They should have input on laws, guidelines, and accommodations that would work best for them. He was adamant that people with disabilities know what’s best for themselves. In the 1990s, writer and disability rights activist James Charlton applied the term to the disability rights movement and wrote a book of the same title. The phrase led to “no taxation without representation,” used during the Revolutionary War in the United States. ” It became a motto for people who wanted a say in how they were governed. Preview T10:01:56+02:00 T10:01:56+02:00 Mac OS X 10.11.The term, “nothing about us without us,” has been around in concept for hundreds of years, starting as the Latin phrase “ Nihil de nobis, sine nobis. Mediterranean Review of Human Rights Issue 1 December 2017 )/Rect/Subtype/FreeText/Type/Annot>endobj122 0 objendobj178 0 objendobj179 0 obj/Font>/Fields 181 0 R>endobj180 0 objstream
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