Living with a Disability Essay example - 573 Words

On many occasions teachers have asked, Is the volume high enough for you? while my class watches a television documentary. Many teachers in middle school imposed strict rules about where in the classroom I could sit. Ive had coaches ask if I know sign language. And during my elementary years, the school insisted I meet with a learning specialist once a week to discuss my feelings about being hearing-impaired. All these restrictions were placed on me despite the fact that I was an above-average student and an aggressive athlete. Being hearing-impaired is something I have dealt with my entire life; by the time I was five years old, putting on hearing aids in the morning was just as normal as brushing my teeth. As a result of a†¦show more content†¦My learning specialist futilely attempted to teach me sign language despite the fact that I had absolutely no need or use for it. People tend to speak louder than normal when they see my thick plastic hearing aids in my ears. From time to time I still hear the term dumb deaf being ascribed to people with a hearing disability. And almost every month I hear someone say that hearing aids are for old people. If anything, my hearing disability has made me a stronger person. Because I wear hearing aids, I constantly have to prove that I am not physically or mentally limited. I have to work harder and earn top-notch grades in school to earn the respect of my teachers. In sports Ive had to run faster, hit harder, catch better and score more points to prove I am not physically challenged by my hearing disability. I still dont know a word of sign language and I dont fit in with people who are deaf and sign as a way to communicate. I consider myself no different from anyone else. I wear hearing aids, but I can hear without them. And I am not half deaf with my hearing aid on, I can hear just as well as anyone else. In my quest to prove my equality to my non-disabled peers, I have made myself better than the average teenager. I won the coachs award and all-star award on my softball team and my team was a finalist in our league championship tournament. I have played varsity softball my three years in highShow MoreRelatedEssay about Living with Disability1650 Words   |  7 Pages Disability is an topic that has produced conflict, and is viewed very differently from either side. For able-bodied people to truly understand what disabled people go through they need to see disabled people more; see their lives. If seeing disabled people more often became reality, they would be viewed as normal more, and it would make interacting easier for both sides. Disabled people have a hard life, but it does not mean it is not worth living. Nancy Mairs, Andre Dubus, and Harriet McBryde JohnsonRead MoreLiving With Chronic Illnesses And Disabilities1229 Words   |  5 PagesMost people without disabilities or chr onic illnesses wake up each morning to a day with practically unlimited potential. Although energy is a finite resource for everyone, most healthy people do not have to worry about the possibility of running out. Unless they come down with an illness or they overtax themselves—which, for a healthy person, generally requires either very difficult or very stressful activities, or both—they can fill their day. If they do exhaust themselves before the day is overRead MoreIs Deafness a Disability or a Way of Living?1593 Words   |  7 Pagesindividuals, who are surprisingly different from the rest of the members of their own families. This situation causes a cross-cultural conflict, which others believe needs fixing. Nevertheless, society should not perceive the Deaf community as a disability group but as a discrete linguistic minority, rich in history, values, and traditions. Deaf people often occupy an uneasy position in society. Since most children with hearing impairments have hearing parents, their family members frequently oppressRead MoreExpository Essay : Living With A Disability2653 Words   |  11 PagesCynthia Loyola Ms. Duenow Expository Reading and Writing Period 4 Living with a Disability Dyasha Smith, a 21 year old student died by choking on a muffin at school. She wore diapers, was nonverbal, was autistic. Dyasha was a victim of neglect. Her mother stated that she was supposed to have a full-time supervisor on the bus and at school. Her supervisor was not there at the time of the event. This girl could have been helped, but the staff was too careless (Taylor). This is only one story ofRead MoreSupport Services Available For People Living With Disabilities809 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many support services available for people living with disabilities. It is important these services are in place to ensure disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else. The Equality Act was put into place in 2010 to ‘support the rights of disabled students by giving greater legal protection against discrimination’. (Disability Rights UK, 2012) The act emphasises the legal duty on education providers, employers and service providers to make appropri ate changes in order forRead MoreUS Disability Living Allowance Controversy Essay1990 Words   |  8 PagesSeptember of 2013, 5.9 million people have been added to the Social Security Disability program (Finger, 2013.) That compared to the less than 2.5 million jobs created during this same period demonstrates a problem (Finger, 2013.) According to the Social Security Administration, Social Security Disability benefits have reached 10.9 million (Finger, 2013.) A record one in fourteen workers is now on the â€Å"Social Security Disability payroll† (Finger, 2013.) According to Congressional Research estimatesRead MoreThe Importance Of Providing Better Assessments For Adults With Disabilities1559 Words   |  7 Pagesbetter assessments for Adults with Disabilities, before placing them into a specific housing setting, without undermining their independence level. In 1998, Wehmeyer and Bolding published a research article that focused on the enhancement of self-determination of adults with disabilities after they lived or worked in community-based environments. This research specifically focused on the intellectually disabled population. Wehmeyer and Bolding states that the living environments that encompass a smallerRead MoreThe Role Of A Career Counselor Meets The Needs Of People With Disabilities1432 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract People living with a disability either physically , mentally or emotionally face major complications and discrimination when it comes to their career choice in that some sectors of the employment see them as unfit or incapable of performing various responsibilities. When it comes to their working life, they are subjected to various challenges which hinder their output and general performance of their duties. This research focuses on the special needs of this particular group when it comesRead MoreA Place For Call Home : Intellectual Disabilities And Residential Services849 Words   |  4 PagesIntellectual Disabilities and Residential Services in Nova Scotia,† is an article written by Rachel Barken (PH.D Candidate) from the Department of Sociology at McMaster University. This article is about how Nova Scotia still continues to institutionalize people with intellectual disabilities when other provinces across Canada are working on deinstitutionalizing. Provinces in Canada are moving towards the approach of community living based group homes for people with intellectual disabilities. BarkenRead MoreAnalysis Of The National Disability Insurance Scheme913 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The National Disability Insurance Scheme is doing great in providing funding for people living with disabilities to ensure full access and participation within society. Therefore it is very important ensure that services are available and fully funded, for these people with disabilities to access. In this report, the author is going outline the main approaches to service delivery in the disability sector in Australia, in terms of how they are funded and structured. This is to ensure