Wednesday 22 June 2011

Get more contact for more understanding

How familiar are we to disabilities? If we do not have relatives who have physical challenges, most of us might hardly ever be in touch with those who have disabilities. This thought came to my mind when I first read the article "Learning Empathy by Looking Beyond Disabilities" in New York time. If people with disabilities get more involved in the society, if normal people have more understanding on disabilities, how would it be?

The aritcle is about an effort called the Pearls Project launched in Ridgewood High School, New Jersy. The aim of this project is to promote tolerance and empathy in school. One activity in the program the article presents is that the students are presented, with the photographs of people wiht disorders and asked to write essays about the meaning of beauty. Students are encouraged to contact the subjects of the project to learn about their living and their thought. For example, Tony read the writing of Rebecca, a college student with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita.

I find that this project interesting and helpful. In the past, people with physical challenges were excluded from the society. They had to stay at their home and relied on their families for the whole life. Nowadays, many conditions improve a lot for their lives, they can join school, work, yet, people in society still do not have understanding on them. I have heard a blind person complained that sometimes someones walked him on the street, but they did not know how to do it appropriately and made him more difficult to walk than he did on his own. We still have too less chance to contact with them. Through such kind of activities, I think that they could shorten the gap between ordinary people and people with disabilities. With more connection, we can get more understanding, and thus more empathy and tolerance as the aim of the project is.
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References
Learning Empathy by Looking Beyond Disabilities. (2011, Jun, 22). The New York Times. Retreived June 22, 2011 from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/nyregion/at-nj-school-learning-not-to-look-away-from-the-disabled.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&hpw=&adxnnlx=1308748179-9tq3iT0Sd3mfMGZvI7toBw

3 comments:

  1. I agree with liu's idea that this project is interesting and helpful. Disabilities people want to live life no differently than anyone else. They want to be able to go shopping, go to the movies, go out to eat, work, and enjoy life and so on.As ordinary people, we shouldn't discriminate against them,in contrast, we need to spend more time to understanding them,to know what they are really want,to take care them like the way we treat ordinary people. We should make them realize that they are living in a normal world.

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  2. I agree with Gloria. I used to go to school with those who are blind. They wanted to be treated like ordinary students. They didn't want sympathy, they just wanted friendship and understanding. All we have to do is try to put ourselves in their shoes which in itself is difficult since disability is not a thing you can easily wrap your head around.
    I also used to watch a reality show where a famous Thai actress was blind-folded and tried to live a life as a blind. It was a very touching and sentimental show.
    I think what we should do is look more carefully at people around us, be kind to people who are less fortunate, and try to make their lives easier, but no judging or pity. Pity and sympathy might come across negatively, we should be careful on that.

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  3. I do agree with you guys that we should understand and sincere to people with disability. I also think of another group of disabled. What about disabled beggars? Should we give money all the time they beg? and Should pity and sympathy be needed? Some people might think that when they sing songs or even do nothing to beg money is like a kind of normal people work in daily life, but some think it is a selfishness of beggars that couldn't accept. That's why some give and some do not. So what is the exact solution to reduce a gap between normal and disabled people?

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