In Italy, it is illegal to segregate children with disabilities from children who do not have disabilities in an academic setting. This, of course, is a huge step in the right direction towards human rights and respect. However, the country still lacks in educating the public about people with disabilities to eliminate stigma and does not provide many accommodations for those with physical disabilities.
Through my five weeks working as an intern at an organization that seeks to improve the lives of adults with disabilities, I have taken notice of the societal trends and governmental laws for people with disabilities. I am taken aback by the treatment they receive from society. Perhaps it is a cultural difference between American society and Italian society, but treating others with diginity and respect is a quality that should be universal.
As an intern, I have accompanied the members of Oltre I Sogni to locations such as the beach. It is disheartening to see that for people with disabilities to access a beach, they must travel thirty minutes by bus to a beach on the other side of the peninsula. The closest marinas near the organization do not have ramps, elevator lifts, or waterproof equipment for individual transfer from shore to sea. What is truly concerning for me is that when we do arrive at locations outside the organization, we receive negative looks and judgmental comments. The language used to communicate was elementary and almost baby-like. It was condescending and degrading.
People with disabilities may have limitations but they can understand what you are saying most of the time without any modifications to your sentence structure. They can hold conversations for hours with words at the highest vocabulary despite their physical limitations. For those with cognitive disabilities, they may not interpret many complex words but they can determine if they are being underestimated. Like all human beings, they have emotions and feelings too. The way people treat them, whether it’s verbal or physical, can make a huge impact on their self-confidence. This is a quality we focus heavily on in this organization because confidence is needed to accomplish independent activities especially as adults. With low motivation, they are more likely to believe they can’t accomplish a task when they surely can.
At the beach, some were capable of walking across the sand to the pier but they did not think they could do it because they knew people were expecting a failed attempt. I stood beside them and accompanied them to their desired locations. I supported them with words of encouragement and defended them whenever someone wanted to believe the opposite.
As a society, we must show people with disabilities that they are not alone and they deserve to be respected and supported like everyone else. We make respect seem like a privilege when it’s a right. Simply having the positive perceptions and beneficial accommodations can lead to a life that is fulfilling for both people with disabilities and people without. It is up to us to give those who need patience and support a person to lean on. After all, wouldn’t you want that for yourself if you were in their shoes?
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