We've Come a Long Way, But Still Have Far to Go

The society we participate in is changing every day. As we take a look into the history of the nation, specifically the societal views of people with disabilities, we should be grateful for so much change. Every student is required to learn history while going through school to learn the cultures of different groups in America. What many people do not know about is the Disability Rights Movement that was running parallel to the Civil Rights Movement. There was once a time that people viewed disability as being born a criminal and a burden to society. People were encouraged to hand over anyone with a disability to the state's care for institutionalization. This is when a change in society is welcomed, because as people began to shine a light on institutionalizations people began to correct the mistreatment. A movement towards the understanding and better treatment of people with disabilities has been growing and evolving since the 60's with the election of JFK who was a trailblazer in the king of legislation that advocates for the rights of those with disabilities. Today we see people with disabilities as being equal members of the society that once did not understand them.
However, it is important to understand that just because we reach one milestone does not mean there are not still several ahead. Taking a look at the history of disability and the way society used to treat these members shows how far we have come. A major take a way from this history is how recent it was. There are still generations alive today that still may not fully understand that disability is a culture that should be respected, and it is our job as people who know their history to advocate and inform on their behalf. Being a part of society is a basic human right and as occupational therapists we play a special part in making sure that we are building bridges which allow both participation by the individuals we are treating and acceptance by the society receiving them.

An ever changing society means that what we know to be true right now may not be true 100, 50, or even 10 years from now. The use of the word "mental retardation" or "retarded" in general is a perfect example of the adaptation of language in the disability culture. When the word mental retardation was put in to the DSM it was actually seen as a milestone in the use of language surrounding disability. It was used over words such as "moron" or "dumb" in documents and then in everyday use. However, society put a stigma around the word "retard" to make it an insult. Advocates for the disability community stayed aware of the changing society and with Rosa's Law in 2010 the word "retard" was made illegal in medical and legal documents, which began the movement towards using "intellectual disability" instead. As professionals who are about to start working with this population we are taking on the role of advocate. In a few years it may not be socially acceptable to use "intellectual disability" or "special needs" anymore. When society adapts we must adapt as well and use our voices to make sure our constantly adapting society is changing only for the better.