Disability discrimination is still common in Canada
Joe Henry
Issue date: 11/8/05 Section: Opinion
People with disabilities have also, in one way or another, paid their taxes that fund the infrastructure in which we all live. That is, the parking spots, the sidewalks, the ramps etc and yet, daily, our environment continues to be built like a jail around them and still few are aware, let alone speaking up for change
Consider also that, on your outing to the movies, if you went to dinner or shopping beforehand. Unlike you, the person in a wheelchair would have had limited choices about where they were able to go due to inequitable access.
Try and visit some restaurants and stores and maneuver a wheelchair or scooter, soon you will see how small the world is for them.
I'm using the example of a person in a wheelchair to denote "disabilities" here as most of us think of a wheelchair when we see the word "disabled".
But let's also spare a thought for those among us who live with other disabilities such as different kinds of mobility impairments, hearing or vision loss or mental issues. The same idea applies; it is in fact the environmental barriers and attitudinal barriers that make the disability, until we start to accept that difference is part of the "life condition", almost 15 per cent of our population will be excluded from full participation.
We, all of us, are letting this discrimination happen. This is due largely to the fact that we are uneducated on this subject and, because of our lack of knowledge we tolerate these problems mostly out of ignorance. It is now our responsibility to start to open our eyes to the problems and to participate as citizens to remove barriers.
Joe Henry is the Brock University Accessibility Coordinator he can be reached at joe.henry@brocku.ca or by visiting room 1102 in the Schmon Tower.
Consider also that, on your outing to the movies, if you went to dinner or shopping beforehand. Unlike you, the person in a wheelchair would have had limited choices about where they were able to go due to inequitable access.
Try and visit some restaurants and stores and maneuver a wheelchair or scooter, soon you will see how small the world is for them.
I'm using the example of a person in a wheelchair to denote "disabilities" here as most of us think of a wheelchair when we see the word "disabled".
But let's also spare a thought for those among us who live with other disabilities such as different kinds of mobility impairments, hearing or vision loss or mental issues. The same idea applies; it is in fact the environmental barriers and attitudinal barriers that make the disability, until we start to accept that difference is part of the "life condition", almost 15 per cent of our population will be excluded from full participation.
We, all of us, are letting this discrimination happen. This is due largely to the fact that we are uneducated on this subject and, because of our lack of knowledge we tolerate these problems mostly out of ignorance. It is now our responsibility to start to open our eyes to the problems and to participate as citizens to remove barriers.
Joe Henry is the Brock University Accessibility Coordinator he can be reached at joe.henry@brocku.ca or by visiting room 1102 in the Schmon Tower.
