Issues and Challenges of people with Disability

This post focuses on the issues that people with disabilities face on the physical, psychological, social, educational, and economic fronts. The reader will:

Gain a thorough understanding of the issues facing the disabled;
Acquire sufficient knowledge of how these issues affect the lives of disabled people;
Discover the environmental and debilitating barriers that limit the participation of those with disabilities.

Introduction:
Physical Problems of Person with Disabilities:
Psychological Problems of Person with Disabilities:
Social Problems of Person with Disabilities:
Economic Problems of Person with Disabilities:
Conclusion

Introduction

It is common knowledge that a person's impairment as a condition of being human tends to influence how they interact with others in society. Barriers on a personal or environmental level may cause this. The term "disability" is used by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to describe a wide range of impairments, activity constraints, and participation restrictions. Disability is the result of the interplay between people who have a health condition like Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, or depression and personal and environmental variables including unfavourable attitudes, inaccessible public transportation, and a lack of social supports. Disability is complex, and overcoming the disadvantage it causes need for several, methodical actions that change depending on the situation.

The most damaged group in the community, those with disabilities face tremendous social, educational, and economic challenges. Their main issues include poverty and unemployment, as well as the distinct and demeaning behaviour displayed by the community of people with disabilities. Unfortunately, people with disabilities are ranked as the second group of people in the community, and derogatory terms like "mad," "blind," "deaf," and "lame" are frequently used to describe them. The majority of families view having a disabled member in their family as a source of shame, and experts believe that the lack of required knowledge about the causes and types of impairment is to blame for the way that the community treats those who are disabled. The psychological issues that the majority of them experience are brought on by the community's disparate treatment of them, which isolates and abstracts the disabled from society. Additionally, it harms their souls.

Physical Problems of Person with Disabilities:

People with disabilities require more medical attention and have more unmet needs than people without impairments. People with disabilities are rarely the focus of health promotion and prevention initiatives. People with disabilities are more susceptible than others to poor health care services. People with disabilities may be more susceptible to secondary conditions, co-morbid conditions, age-related diseases, engaging in health risk behaviours, and greater rates of premature death depending on the population and location.

Secondary conditions:

In addition to and connected to a primary health issue, secondary disorders such urinary tract infections, hypertension, osteophasis, discomfort, and ulcers may develop in a person with a handicap. These conditions are both predictable and thus treatable.

Co-morbid conditions:

Co-morbid conditions such as the prevalence of diabetes with schizophrenia may occur in a person with disabilities in addition to and are related to a primary health condition associated with disability. Such conditions are higher among person with disabilities than the general population.

Age related conditions

Some groups of persons with disabilities may start ageing earlier than typical. Premature ageing symptoms frequently start to appear in people with developmental difficulties in their 30s and 40s.

Engage in health risk behaviour

Some studies have indicated that people with disabilities have higher rates of risky behaviours such as smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity.

Higher rates of premature death:

Depending on their health status, people with impairments have varying mortality rates. However, a UK survey discovered that those with mental health issues and intellectual disabilities had shorter life expectancies.

Barriers to Health Care:

People with disabilities encounter a range of barriers when they attempt to access health care include the following

Prohibitive costs: People with disabilities are less likely to receive the necessary medical care in low-income nations for two key reasons: the cost of health services and access to transportation. Those without impairments make up 32–33% of the population, while those with disabilities make up 51%–53%.
Limited availability of services: A key obstacle to accessing health care is the absence of suitable services for those with impairments. For instance, research conducted in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu indicated that, after cost, the absence of services in the area was the second-largest impediment to using health facilities.
Physical barriers: Barriers to accessing health care facilities include uneven access to buildings like hospitals and health centres, inaccessible medical equipment, narrow doorways, internal steps, inadequate bathroom facilities, and inaccessible parking places.
Inadequate skills and knowledge of health workers: People with disabilities were nearly three times more likely to report being denied care, nearly four times more likely to report that a health care provider treated them rudely, and more than twice as likely to say that the provider's skills were insufficient to fulfil their needs.

Psychological Problems of Person with Disabilities:

The importance of negative emotions in handicapped people's psyche and how this could impact how they perceive their physical impairment is emphasised in a lot of study, it seems. Depression appears to frequently be linked to physical handicap, and Abberley (1987) contends that such unfavourable stereotypes have damaged the status of the crippled. Dennis et al. (2000) looked at how a person's level of impairment is influenced by emotional distress rather than physiological. According to Hansen et al. (2001), a person's mental health may have an impact on how severe their impairment is.

This appears to trend in the direction of the hypothesis that an individual's emotional and cognitive traits are inextricably related to their level of disability. The conventional focus on the person as defective is maintained by this emphasis on subjective traits, which diminishes the need for change on an institutional or social level and ignores any contextual or societal variables determining the severity of impairment. Additionally, a significant portion of the research relied on specialists' evaluations of the participants, which appears to portray them as passive objects. It was frequently suggested that the person alter their behaviour or way of thinking in order to promote improvement or rehabilitation. This may be a result of psychology's individualistic orientation and presumption that a handicap will negatively affect an individual. and need treatment.

The adjustment is crucial to how physical handicap affects mental health. Adjustments to illness, diminished activity and capability, and changes in priorities regarding economics, one's self-image, and interpersonal relationships can all manifest simultaneously. Adjustment isn't simply for when an illness is just getting started. The need for ongoing emotional and mental adjustment increases as the physical changes become more obvious.

Social Problems of Person with Disabilities:

People with impairments are increasingly struggling with social isolation. Some people's ability to fully participate in communal life is restricted by the constraints present in the built environment. Others, though, face social and mental impediments. These obstacles have proven to be the hardest to go through.

Few understand how profound isolation and exclusion affect disabled people's identities and self-esteem. Many folks spoke movingly on the impact of being defined by others. They were always defined as "different" and always characterised by lack. It is challenging to form and maintain relationships that are defined by equality and mutual support when identity is constantly and exclusively constructed by others and is always presented negatively.

Meaningful community engagement is extremely difficult for people who have intellectual disabilities. The capacity of people with intellectual disabilities to form meaningful connections and enjoy the same rights as other members of the community is still hampered by strong taboos around relationships and intimacy. They are among the most secluded populations as a result.

Specialized services for people with impairments, as well as their families, friends, and caregivers, are known as disability services. They can be separated from regular public services, which might or might not be accessible to those with disabilities. Additionally, it may go by the names "mainstream," "generic," or "universal" services. Disability services are meant to give disabled persons the help they need to take part fully in daily life and community activities. Instead of encouraging their involvement, the features of programmes and services for people with disabilities served as a barrier. The disability service system was described as being completely bankrupt, irreparably broken, chronically underfunded, resource-constrained, crisis-driven, and battling a massive wave of unmet demand. Many people believed as a result that rationing services took up more time than actually providing them.

Services were characterized as unavailable or unaffordable or of such poor quality as to be of little benefit. Many submissions said that there is little or no choice in services provided, particularly in regional or remote areas. Submissions and participants at community consultations said that the system is characterized by a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach in which there is very little choice or flexibility. Programs and services are built around organizational and system needs rather than the needs of clients.

Barriers in the Society:

The two basic categories of social obstacles are environmental barriers and attitudinal barriers. The two main categories of environmental barriers are architectural and communication. An additional significant obstacle for people with disabilities is a lack of knowledge.

Environmental barriers:

Architectural barriers: Lack of ramps, railings, signage, braille print, adequate spacing, slip-resistant flooring, accessible restrooms and chairs, switches, shelves, washbasins, taps, and telephones at an accessible height are some examples of architectural barriers in buildings. This type of infrastructure enables impaired persons to function normally and with little to no assistance. Such an internal environment helps people become more independent while also boosting their confidence and preventing pointless delays. There is a need for Ramps & Hand Rails, Kerb Ramps in Pavements, Seats, Taps, Telephone Booths, Wash Basins - at an accessible height, Braille Print, Road Signals with adequate timing, Audio Visual Announcements and the use of bright colours, Space For Wheelchair Users, Accessible Parking Space, Sign Language, Slip Resistant Grab Bars & Flooring, Modified Play Area / Equipments and Rules, as well as other accessibility features in public places After all, it is the right of individuals with disabilities to be integrated in all aspects of society, which is impossible without an environment that is both accessible and barrier-free. A barrier-free environment in all public spaces and a barrier-free transportation system are guaranteed by the Persons with Disabilities Act of 1995.
Communication: Another area that receives too little attention is communication. Communication difficulties make socialising very difficult for those individuals. Communication is currently restricted to language and speech. In actuality, stillness allows for much greater communication. There is an incorrect school of thought that holds that individuals with communication disorders are illiterate or incapable of communicating. The truth is the opposite. Every single person communicates on a daily basis. However, the so-called communicative or communicable society doesn't bother to listen to or comprehend what the disabled person is communicating.

Lack of readers, braille materials, manuals, magazines, government orders, gazettes, news papers, and scribe services for people with visual impairments are major communication barriers in society. Lack of sign language and sign language interpreters for people with hearing impairments is another. Lack of communication aids and technical devices for people with severe disabilities is another. In addition to these, there is a great need for a curriculum and examination system that is accessible to those with disabilities and includes a range of options and adaptations.

The areas that are impacted by these barriers include play, leisure, and health which can lead to health issues, education and information which can lead to intellectual disability, employment which can lead to financial disability, and rights and contribution of disabled people which can lead to isolation from society and affect their self-esteem, sense of social respect, and dignity of life which can lead to emotional disability and an all-round life of disability.

The society's lack of consideration for people with disabilities is the real problem causing these impediments. Without a shift in people's attitudes and a willingness to accept and appreciate those who have impairments, even the most strict laws will accomplish very little. There is a mentality that associates a person with a disability with that handicap rather than with their skills. As the world only exists due of its diversity and interdependence, society should be flexible enough to accommodate all variations. It also becomes everyone's responsibility to respect the rights and individuality of every other member of the community. People with disabilities should be given equal opportunities in society so that they can exercise their rights and participate in society. Every citizen should view the contributions of those with disabilities with the same respect as their own. In order for such an attitude change to take place, society must accept that persons with disabilities are just like anyone else.
Educational Needs: In reality, a major error has been made by developing special schools and special teachers in the nation and the world. The culture undoubtedly would have learned over time to accommodate various disabilities even without special schools and teachers. The mainstream schools have never thought it was their duty to include all children since they segregated them in some way. The needs of those with impairments must be met by the educational system. Even the integrated education system only serves those who are just minimally impacted. Rarely do students who receive special education complete high school or even 11th or 12th grade, and they never receive standardised instruction.It is a well-known reality that attending a regular school is not the only solution. Only 0.1 percent of impaired kids attend universities and 0.5 percent attend normal schools, according to a survey of some 320 odd universities and schools. It is obvious that there is a great deal of negligence in the society.

Least priority has been given to the education of children with disablities, due to the following reasons:

Because they believe that a kid or adult with disabilities is not useful in any manner, parents, family members, and the community have the attitude that it is a waste of time, money, and other resources to educate them. The disabled youngster is also unable to take advantage of the Right to Education guaranteed by the Indian Constitution due to the capitalist mindset of the society.
When there are other siblings living with a disabled child, the disabled child receives less priority in education than the siblings, either because of the parents' financial hardship or social stigmas. Poverty and disability are mutually exclusive. Children are denied access to education because of poverty. A child with a handicap rarely has the chance to attend school, even if their parents come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is because, because of societal restrictions, educating a child with a disability is more expensive than educating a child without one.
The presence of environmental and architectural impediments, such as the built environment being inaccessible, as well as schools, roads, and transportation. Due of environmental and architectural restrictions, parents of children with disabilities frequently have to carry their children. They cannot use public transportation, and they cannot afford the cost of private transportation. As a result, the child's surroundings becomes more limited as they become older and live at home.
Many students with disabilities find the educational system to be inaccessible because the curriculum, instructional strategies, learning aids, and evaluation system are not accessible to them. Most colleges and universities do not offer Braille textbooks and materials, readers for students who are blind, sign language interpretation, or teaching. Even when different teaching techniques are employed, different techniques are not used for evaluation. The Picture Communication System, for instance, is not used to evaluate a child who is educated with it. There are few opportunities for disabled people to finish their education as a result. Only a small number of special schools use augmentative and alternative communication methods.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) talks of Education for all. The fact remains that many people with disabilities are not enrolled under this scheme due to the severity of Disability. Also teachers are not trained in inclusive education.
The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 does not speak of reservations in Higher Educational Institutions and only talks about open universities. Many people with disabilities are denied entry into professional courses like MBA, Engineering and Medicine due to their disability

Economic Problems of Person with Disabilities:

Financial independence is a significant issue for disabled people. In fact, the majority of people with disabilities still rely on social security benefits for support while only making minimum wage or less. This restricts their options and makes them dependent on their families.

Additionally, people with impairments typically need specific equipment, which limits their family's spending. Realistically, people with disabilities cannot be supported in their daily life by the disability pension. Families continue to play a significant role in the lives of those with disabilities. This is because they view it as a reliable source of support and help. People with disabilities are willing to pay for support and help to be able to become more independent and less of a burden on their families, despite the fact that this connection to family is a good thing. To reconcile the financial issues with the cost of services, more work remains.

The disabling barriers:

The international Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) both draw attention to the environmental conditions that prevent persons with disabilities from participating fully in society. The Report has gathered ample proof of impediments, including the following.

Inadequate policies and standards: The requirements of those with disabilities are not always taken into account when designing policies, or current regulations and standards are not upheld. Examples include the absence of a clearly defined inclusive education policy, the absence of physically enforceable access standards, and the low emphasis given to rehabilitation.
Negative attitudes: When medical professionals cannot see past the disability, when educators do not value teaching children with disabilities, when employers discriminate against those with disabilities, and when family members have low expectations of their loved ones with disabilities, beliefs and prejudices act as barriers.
Lack of provision of services:Disability-related issues make people more susceptible to inadequate health, rehabilitation, or support and assistance services.
Problems with service delivery: Issues such as poor coordination among services, inadequate staffing, staff competencies, and training affect the quality and adequacy of services for persons with disabilities.
Inadequate funding: The resources allotted for carrying out policies and plans are frequently insufficient. For instance, strategy documents for reducing poverty may highlight disability without taking money into account.
Lack of accessibility: Information, transportation, and built settings (such as public accommodations) are frequently inaccessible. A person with a handicap is frequently deterred from looking for job or prohibited from getting health care due to a lack of transportation. Even in nations with accessible legislation, public buildings frequently have relatively poor compliance rates. People with disabilities frequently don't get the communication support they need. Some persons with disabilities are unable to use basic information and communication devices like telephones and televisions, and information is usually not available in accessible formats.
Lack of consultation and involvement: Often people with disabilities are excluded from decision-making in matters directly affecting their lives.
Lack of data and evidence: Understanding and taking appropriate action are frequently hampered by a lack of accurate and comparable data about disabilities and evidence of programmes that perform.

Conclusion

Despite the clear fact that disabled people's lives have been better over time, work still has to be done. People with disabilities struggle to retain their financial stability, education, employability, and information technology competence. Additionally, because of physical and mental restrictions, it is difficult for disabled persons to go out on their own, which prevents them from participating fully in society. It should be a top priority to include disabled persons by giving them equal access and opportunity.