The ableist conflation by Joel Reynolds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The ableist conflation by Joel Reynolds - Essay Example As many groups have done, disabled people have been engaged in what Anspach calls â€Å"identity politics†; politics that endeavor not only to change society’s conception and response to disabled people, but also to change the self-concepts of disabled people themselves. The work of disabled people in changing how they think about themselves continues, as the disability community struggles for self-definition and self-determination, as well as for civil rights. One of the most important problems facing the political struggle of people with disabilities is the necessity of developing a positive sense of identity. The very idea of a positive disability identity flies in the face of long-standing social â€Å"wisdom† about disability. The reason for this lies in the cultural beliefs about disability that have determined the status and perceptions of disabled people in our society today. Historically, disabled people were viewed as social and moral deviants, violations of the natural and cosmic order of the universe (Reynold, J). The response to such â€Å"deviance† was to protect society by separating disabled people from society in asylums, jails, basements, attics, etc. Disabled people were not considered fully human, had no role in society, and no basis for a positive social identity The theories of psychosocial identity development in onset disability, particularly minority identity development, provide a useful framework for exploring the concept of disability identity development as a minority culture phenomenon. Within the literature of identity development, few theorists have explicitly addressed the issue of disability, yet the models provide fertile ground for exploration. In contrast, an extensive body of rehabilitation literature exists that is grounded in the medical view of disability that has generated research findings that support and reinforce a medical