The Whole World and Your Place in It

I am continuously frustrated by the absence of disability from discussions of diversity, globalization, and civic/social engagement. I believe part of this is the fears people living without a disability have about becoming ill, having a child who isn’t “healthy”, losing some function like their vision, or becoming frail in their later years. It is generally easier for people to avoid thinking about the things that scare them, so they ignore those living with a disability. I think it is time for people to confront their fears and begin to recognize those living with a disability. If you think disability has nothing to do with you or issues of diversity, globalization, and civic/social engagement, consider these facts: • The largest minority group in the United States and worldwide is people with a disability. • A disabling condition can happen to anyone of any age, race, ethnicity, or wealth. Approximately 650 million people, 10% of the world’s population, live with a disability. • Disability can be the result of an accident/injury, genetic condition, environmental hazard/stress, and/or disease. • People living with a disability are the most at-risk for being abused, a victim of a crime, homeless, unemployed/under employed, socially isolated, and unengaged in civic life. • In the United States alone About 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder. • There are about 6.3 million adults in the world living with Parkinsons Disease. • Insufficient research is being conducted with and by people living with a disability; this demographic group is largely ignored. • Access to adequate health care, immunizations, and nutrition, along with attention to public health, education, and workplace safety, can reduce certain forms of disability. • Approximately 80% of people living with a disability reside in a developing country. • In the U.S. and throughout the world, only a small portion of people living with a disability have adequate access to the social support, transportation, life-long learning, technical assistance, care, and assistive technology or supplies they need to be fully included in society. Sources: The Centers for Disease Control Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html The European Parkinsons Disease Association http://www.parkinsonsawareness.eu.com/en/campaign-literature/prevalence-of-parkinsons-disease/ The United Nations http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/disabilities/index.shtml