Running head: PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 1

People with Disabilities

[Name of Student]
[Institution of Affiliation]

I was moved, exasperated, and motivated by this book. I couldnt believe that people

disabilities were treated this way. In this book No Pity by Joseph Shapiro, chapter four is my

favorite so far. This is because of what took place and how it was set up. This chapter has started

changing my thought on people with disabilities. At first, I wasnt happy on how they were being

compared to those of the civil rights. Nevertheless, this chapter has put that statement into a

better perception, and I think I am beginning to understand what they meant. Moreover, one of

the interesting thing about this chapter is that I have not heard anything about the struggles of

people with disabilities rights, people that set up the legislation into motion, and the legislation

that took place.

 PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 2

In this chapter, it is clearly seen that individuals with disabilities are neglected or looked

down upon by some individuals. For instance, in the case of Lisa at the theater, she was ignored

and denied a ticket due to her condition. According to the theater owner, he denied the girl the

ticket because she was not able to speak or get around. Owing to this, it has been noted that in

the past few years, nearly two-thirds of people with disabilities had not been in the theater in

comparison to the 22% of the general population. Statistically, 17% of people with disabilities

never ate in restaurants while 13% never shopped in a grocery store because they were fearful of

being neglected or mistreated just like Lisa was at the theater.

Moreover, about 40% of people with disabilities had limited access to public places due

to physical barriers while 49% said that access systems were inaccessible. Therefore, it is

manifestly seen why about 66% were unemployed, yet they were willing to work. In most cases,

they were not hired because many employers claimed that they were unable to get through the

doors of the workplace.

Due to all this insults and frustrations, the black Americans successfully won a legal end

to segregation of people with disabilities from jobs and public places. However, similar

exclusion was still a fact to many millions of people with disabilities. A law assuring public

education and Section 504 was established to help such individuals. This was the first time

people with disabilities asked Americans to distinguish that one of the biggest problems they

faced was discrimination. Notably, most individuals with disabilities also had problems

accessing schools and proper housing.

Despite all these discriminations, the current advancement in technology has changed

everything around the globe. A lot has changed from the way people treat or view people with
 PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 3

disabilities. Currently, everyone has the same rights to access public places and even school

facilities. For instance, individuals with disabilities can access any building by use of ramps, lifts

or escalators unlike in the 90s. Besides, new laws protecting these people have also been

reinforced to protect them from discrimination and people who may mistreat or frustrate them in

any way.

I enjoyed chapter seven since it talked about how various technologies are used to help

people with disabilities. The advanced technology has tremendously helped these individuals live

a regular life. For example, the Hamilton who got injured while hang gliding strengthened the

idea that even out misfortune, something good can still happen. She designed a new wheelchair

that weighted less to enable people moved comfortably and with ease. During those days, the

weight of wheelchairs was quite cumbersome and awful to many persons. Nevertheless, I was

happy to hear about the advancement in technology that has to enable the paralyzed to move,

deaf to hear, blind to see. Technology has made life easier for many people with disabilities.

Nowadays, the heavy wheelchair was replaced by the lightweight one which weighs two

times less than the fifty pound. This has also been seen in the invention televisions remote that

has made it easier for individuals with disabilities to quickly tune to the channel of their choice

with ease. Due to her love for athletic, people with disabilities can now participate in various

sports like basketball among others. This has given these individuals the opportunity to do what

they like most and feel the same as others.

Due to her passion for making life better, Hamilton now lives a comfortable life which is

validated by the ultra-powered red sports car she bought for herself. The advanced technology

has also enabled people with disabilities to drive cars and even ride bicycles. For instance, there
 PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 4

exist electric powered wheelchairs that can be used by such individuals in moving from one

place to another. Other than that, prosthetic legs have also been invented to help athletes during

sports activities. These feet have helped them to move the same foot from walking to swimming

and riding bicycles. The invention of Braille has also enabled the blind to read and learn just like

other ordinary people. In the past, the blind was unable to learn due to lack of learning facilities.

However, due to the advanced technology, they can now attend schools just like other students

and learn.

In a nutshell, the advancement in technology has changed the lives of many people with

disabilities. For instance, in the case of Hamilton, many people can now move due to her

invention of the light wheelchair. The invention of braille has enabled many individuals to learn.

Unlike in the past, many people disabilities were unemployed and this led to increased poverty

rates in the society. However, the new technology and laws that have been enforced has

tremendously helps these individuals to have equal right just as the ordinary people.