Glenn wrote:
> It appears to me the students and apprentice health workers are being
> paternalistic. This behavior is from the strong influence in culture to
> equate severely physical disabilities with severely limited mental
> capacity.
So is it OK to talk to people with 'severely limited mental capacity' in
'infantile tones'?? This was implicit in the initial posting too (expressed
exasperation that students do this even when they have been told people are
'intellectually normal').
I'm not really having a go, I don't think you (Glenn, Ken, anyone) probably
'mean' to say or imply this. However, perhaps we need to think more
carefully when we criticise other people's assumptions about disability - of
course, this is something that has to be done - and remember to challenge
our own assumptions about people's worth first.
Cheers,
Kate
>
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