Independent Living
Workshops
- European Cultural Heritage
- Attitudes and Behaviors Inherited
- The Start of the Independent Living Movement
- Federal Laws Supporting the Independent Living Paradigm
- TitleVII of the Rehabilitation Act - 1986 and 1992 Amendments
Atitudes and Behaviors Inherited. Supporting the Independent Living Paradigm
by Maggie Shreve
- The history of how people treated those with disabilities gives us the attitudes and behaviors of today.
- Attitudes of non-disabled people toward people with disabilities (and people with disabilities to people with different disabilities than their own) are generally based on the following:
- Projection - imagine having the disability (barrier awareness days)
- Ideal Body - belief that a perfect body is the norm (Playboy and Playgirl magazines)
- Generalization - assumption that the achievements and/or failures of one person should apply to others with the same or similar disability (super crips an TV shows with angry or self-pitying people with disabilities)
- Atonement - belief that disability is punishment for sin (healing)
- Spread - assumption that one disability includes others (waiter in restaurant speaks to non-disabled person rather than person with disability)
- Negative behaviors resulting from these attitudes are:
- Abuse - verbal, visual, emotional or physical
- Avoidance - institutionalization, isolation, no communication or eye contact
- Patronization - talking down to, taking care of, assuming incapacities
Information provided by: Maggie Shreve, Consultant, 1523 W. Edgewater, Chicago, IL 60660, Voice/TTY: (312) 989-4385, Fax: (312) 989-8268
