Benefits Of Ableism Social Costs Incurred By Disability

Taylar Vajda PG 410 Professor Haltom 11 November 2015 The Advantages of Ableism: Social Costs Incurred by Disability (First Rough Draft) Introduction To the average American, the notion that structural inequity within US government creates disadvantages for those in marginalized groups comes as no surprise. Citizens generally acknowledge race, gender, and class as key determinants in one’s social standing. However, what is often overlooked are the structural benefits of being abled within the US- both physically and developmentally. The disabled population starts at a disadvantage from the onset of disability onward, regardless of class. However, being of a higher socioeconomic status creates an excess of privilege not typically witnessed within low income communities. Despite a variety of federal programs implemented, we’ve yet been able to effectively care for the disabled population within low income communities. While public policy attempts to provide services to keep this population employed, healthy and safe it is (typically) unsuccessful. The social costs incurred by disability are fundamentally abetted by st ructural inequity in the American political system. Literature Review Before we get too involved in the midst of this paper however, it should first be made clear what is meant by the term â€Å"disability.† According to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health from the World Health Organization (WHO) the medical and social