Back in 1955 the African American race was treated differently from all whites. They had to fight to desegregate the places they lived in. Now in the twenty first century we still face problems like the blacks in during there time period. A debate has gone up with the topic of disability rights, and weather ramps or shorter staircases should be mandatory everywhere. The rules are stated so, “ to make sure that any new or redesigned "places of public accommodation and commercial facilities, including everything from baseball bleachers to automated teller machines, will be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities." (Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities). A disabled person struggles through a lot of thing though there lives but one main problem is getting places. They cannot get places because of the large amounts of stairs that must be walked to get to that destination. The reason is to ensure that all people with disabilities, “enjoy the same standards of equality, rights and dignity as everyone else.” (Pear Robert). Not only are they below average but they are not viewed as if they are the average person. Weather in a wheelchair or being born mentally unstable, having a disability is hard on one's life just like blacks during the civil rights movement.
This topic compares to the Civil Rights time period in 1955, due to the way they are looked upon and the disadvantages they have. Most disabled persons are stripped of their rights because, unlike other people, they are not able get places. This gives them a disadvantage to the average person, for they will not have the same amount of opportunities. A man was diagnosed as being disabled and after that not only was he feeling lesser of a person but he was also viewed as if he was different. He had to find his, “tribe and acknowledge my disability identity — I now proudly identify as crisp, and fight for the rights of my fellow crips.” (What Disability Means). Based on the evidence once someone is disabled they are viewed completely different, almost as if they were a different class. The issue compares to the Civil Rights Movement because in 1933 Blacks did not get the same option for education as the whites did. This was not by choice but because high quality schools did not allow African Americans to attend. A book by Jennifer Zieger explains, “education in the African American schools was often extremely poor. With little money from the government, these schools could not afford books or good enough teachers.” (Jennifer Zieger, 10-11). This is significant because like people with disabilities, they do not get the same opportunities as other typical people, but judged because of their outward appearance. The two compare for their similarity in segregation and lack of opportunity. Each not getting chances that all people should deserve.
While the two topics share many similarities many make the inference that they are different. In the 1940’s the African Americans took up roughly half of the population and most whites believe strongly in racism. This resulted in the issue to be to a greater extent, having separate water fountains, ways of transportation, bathrooms, and towns. One significant example of the cruel discrimination happened on December 1, 1955, when one woman, by the name of Rosa Parks, was arrested. A news article stating, “Montgomery activist named Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give her seat on a city bus to a white person.” (The 1950s). Clearly, there was an immense amount of segregation during that time period. This contrast with the amount disabled segregation because in the 1950s the problem was a lot greater and more important. People even today are pushing, ”for the recognition of disability as an aspect of identity that influences the experiences of an individual, not as the sole-defining feature of a person.” (A Brief History of the Disability Rights Movement). The most logical conclusion is that people do not understand in importance of the issue. This leads to people not wanting to make a change unlike the Civil Rights Movement. The difference in the two topics is the significance in the problem taking-place.
Although the segregation of disabled people may not seem significant, it is possible to make a difference. By spreading the word that this is an important issue many viewpoints might change about a disabled person. This will end the way other people look a disabled person, treating them as friends rather than if they are helpless and different. Another way to end the disadvantages of a disabled person is by supporting the fight against the segregation. You can treat a disabled person like any other person and they will feel like they belong in the world, rather than feeling depressed about what they had come to.
Bibliography
"Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities." Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.
Pear, Robert. "U.S. Proposes Rules to Bar Obstacles for the Disabled." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Jan. 1991. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.
Editors, The. "What Disability Means." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Aug. 2016. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.
History.com Staff. "The 1950s." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.
"A Brief History of the Disability Rights Movement." Anti-Defamation League. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.
Zeiger, Jennifer. The Civil Rights Movement. New York: Children's, 2012. Print.
Pictures
http://social.rollins.edu/wpsites/thirdsight/2016/11/21/racial-segregation-1950s-and-today/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tiffiny-carlson/discrimination-people-disabilities-_b_4509393.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tiffiny-carlson/discrimination-people-disabilities-_b_4509393.html
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