Breaking the Stigma: Why Unhealthy Disabled People Deserve the Same Treatment as Everyone Else
When it comes to disabilities, people often think only of physical limitations. However, more than 1 billion people globally experience some form of disability, and many of them are affected by both physical and mental health issues. Unfortunately, people with disabilities who have unhealthy lifestyles are often stigmatized, and this can lead to them being judged and discriminated against. This article sets out to break such stigmas by looking at why unhealthy disabled people deserve the same treatment as everyone else.
Stigma and Disability
Stigma related to disability is nothing new. People with disabilities have long been stigmatized and discriminated against. It has been found that when disabled individuals lead unhealthy lifestyles, they are often looked down upon, which is not the right approach. Stigma not only affects people with disabilities, but also their families, social networks, and communities. It leads to denial of access to basic amenities such as healthcare, education, employment, and social integration.
Why People with Disabilities Struggle to Stay Healthy
People with disabilities often have fewer opportunities to stay healthy than others. They may find themselves in situations that limit their ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including specialized diets and exercise programs, doctor’s advice, and access to information about healthy living. Also, many disabled people live in poverty and face financial barriers, which may deprive them of the ability to buy expensive foods or engage in physical activities.
The broader societal structures that are created often aren’t disabled-friendly, leading people with disabilities to struggle with transport to health facilities, staying inappropriately accommodated housing, exclusion from exercise, and physical activities, limited access to information about healthy living options, and so forth.
Breaking the Stigma
Breaking the stigma surrounding unhealthy disabled individuals requires a change in thinking. People who discriminate against them must learn to appreciate the difficulties they experience in maintaining healthy lifestyles. This means providing more resources for disabled people to improve their health, access to information, and inclusive healthcare systems.
Moreover, people who stigmatize unhealthy disabled individuals must stop viewing them through the lens of incapacity and focus on promoting their rights and sense of agency. They must also understand that disability is a social structure, caused not only by medical conditions but also by society’s constraints and how institutions are made inaccessible. This shift requires the promotion of universal design, participation of people with disabilities in designing facilities, policies, and programs that benefit us as a society.
Conclusion
People with disabilities deserve the same treatment as everyone else, whether they lead healthy or unhealthy lives. Society must do more to break down the barriers for those with disabilities who wish to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and reduce the barriers to help people with disabilities lead an existent life. Breaking the stigma will allow people with disabilities to feel included, welcome, and accepted in society, and adopt healthy living practices to the full extent of their capacity.
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