Keith,
I agree, "Human rights for people with impairments" makes sense.
Some notes: However, few people with impairments are disabled because of
their political beliefs, such as 'political prisoners' are, including
through restrictive and segregated residential options. They do not
become political prisoners either merely because certain disability
policies apply to them. I know you probably use this here as convenient
shorthand, but to say that they are unnecessarily dramatises and
distorts their position. They are primarily disabled, not because 'the
others' are evil oppressors but because of often unconsciously held
beliefs and fears about vulnerability, fragility, dependence, difference
out of an accepted norm and so on. We all have such fears and people
with disability are no different, except that their personal disability
experience has given them greater opportunities to prick through such
fears and beliefs, revealing a more wholesome reality of what it is to
be human. Even so having disability experience does not necessarily stop
one from having discriminatory beliefs towards other groups, or even
sub-categories among disabled people. The 'death culture' is fed by
these same fears and beliefs. I think that the core solution is not (no
longer) for 'us' to push off against 'them' (apart from opposing and
exposing discriminatory practices in various ways) but to push for
central policy making around relationship and interdependence. It would
then emerge that 'them' need 'us' and vice versa. That is, life that
denies fragility, dependence, bodily decline and so on makes a
pornography out of life - that is isolating certain aspects of it only
as desirable, resulting in removing meaning from it and making it
poorer, and unsustainable, for anyone, not just for impaired people.
There is only one humanity. I have quadriplegia and have a certain
solidarity with disabled people. They are not however 'my' people nor am
I one of 'theirs'.
Central policy making around relationship and interdependence, instead
of around individual material independence and competition, would result
in a greater sense and practice of community. Anyone has this as a
primary human need - disabled or not. Specific to people with
impairments (and disability policy making), it would logically also
result in their greater social presence and participation - where
everyone else participates. Call me hopelessly idealistic but I believe
a much greater emphasis on relationship and interdependence is the only
way to go - moreover it is happening now underneath the still powerful
modernistic tsunami.
Sorry to make much more out of this than you possibly intended Keith but
your post presented an opportunity for me to express long-felt unease
about some aspects of a wider disability discourse. A discourse that I
fear may bring people with disabilities further alienation. Dare I say
it, it runs the risk of being a contributor towards embedding disability
:-D in society.
Regards
Erik Leipoldt
keith armstrong wrote:
> gregor
>
> the word 'disability' has always referred to the denial of a legal right.
>
> how about 'human rights for people with impairments' our people are political prisoners imprisoned in 'homes' throughout the western world because of political policies while the states are investing in the death culture.
>
> keith
>
>
> On Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:10:20 -0600 , Gregor Wolbring <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> yes but if we are not consistent how can we blame others?
>> Like we use disability rights however disability describes a violation of a right so to use the term disability right seem to be wrong usage of the term. What is intended is right of a disabled person or right of a person disabled by
>>
>> cheers
>> gregor
>>
>
>
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