Chapter 17 - Disability and Work.docxVIP专享VIP免费原创优质

Chapter17-DisabilityandWorkDISABILITY:CONCEPTSANDDEFINITIONSWilliMommandOttoGeieckerPreliminaryConsiderationsMostpeopleseemtoknowwhatadisabledpersonisandarecertainthattheywouldbeabletoidentifyanindividualasdisabled,eitherbecausethedisabilityisvisibleorbecausetheyareawareofaspecificmedicalconditionthatlendsitselftobecalleddisability.However,whatpreciselythetermdisabilitymeansislesseasytodetermine.Acommonviewisthathavingadisabilitymakesanindividuallesscapableofperformingavarietyofactivities.Infact,thetermdisabilityisasaruleusedtoindicateareductionordeviationfromthenorm,ashortcomingofanindividualthatsocietyhastoreckonwith.Inmostlanguages,termsequivalenttothatofdisabilitycontainthenotionsoflessvalue,lessability,astateofbeingrestricted,deprived,deviant.Itisinlinewithsuchconceptsthatdisabilityisexclusivelyviewedasaproblemoftheaffectedindividualandthattheproblemsindicatedbythepresenceofadisabilityareconsideredtobemoreorlesscommontoallsituations.Itistruethatadisablingconditionmayaffecttovaryingdegreesthepersonallifeofanindividualandhisorherrelationswithfamilyandcommunity.Theindividualwhohasadisabilitymay,infact,experiencethedisabilityassomethingthatsetshimorherapartfromothersandthathasanegativeimpactonthewaylifeisorganized.However,meaningandimpactofdisabilitychangesubstantiallydependingonwhethertheenvironmentandtheattitudesofthepublicaccommodateadisabilityorwhethertheydonot.Forexample,inonecontext,thepersonwhousesawheelchairisinastateofcompletedependency,inanotherheorsheisasindependentandworkingasanyotherperson.Consequently,theimpactofanallegeddysfunctionisrelativetotheenvironment,anddisabilityisthusasocialconceptandnotsolelytheattributeofanindividual.Itisalsoahighlyheterogeneousconcept,makingthesearchforahomogeneousdefinitionavirtuallyimpossibletask.Despitemanyattemptstodefinedisabilityingeneralterms,theproblemremainsconcerningwhatrendersanindividualdisabledandwhoshouldbelongtothisgroup.Forexample,ifdisabilityisdefinedasdysfunctionofanindividual,howtoclassifyapersonwhodespiteaseriousimpairmentisfullyfunctional?Istheblindcomputerspecialistwhoisgainfullyemployedandhasmanagedtosolvehisorhertransportproblems,secureadequatehousingandhaveafamilystilladisabledperson?Isthebakerwhocannolongerexercisehisprofessionbecauseofaflourallergytobecountedamongdisabledjob-seekers?Ifso,whatistherealmeaningofdisability?Tounderstandthistermbetter,onehasfirsttodistinguishitfromotherrelatedconceptsthatareoftenconfusedwithdisability.Themostcommonmisunderstandingistoequatedisabilitywithdisease.Disabledpeopleareoftendescribedastheoppositeofhealthypeopleand,consequently,asneedingthehelpofthehealthprofession.However,disabledpeople,asanyoneelse,needmedicalhelponlyinsituationsofacutesicknessorillness.Evenincaseswherethedisabilityresultsfromaprotractedorchronicillness,suchasdiabetesoracardiacdisease,itisnotthesicknessassuch,butitssocialconsequencesthatareinvolvedhere.Theothermostcommonconfusionistoequatedisabilitywiththemedicalconditionthatisoneofitscauses.Forexample,listshavebeendrawnupthatclassifydisabledpeoplebytypesof"disability",suchasblindness,physicalmalformations,deafness,paraplegia.Suchlistsareimportantfordeterminingwhoshouldbecountedasadisabledperson,exceptthattheuseofthetermdisabilityisinaccurate,becauseitisconfoundedwithimpairment.Morerecently,effortshavebeenmadetodescribedisabilityasdifficultyinp...