Social_Acceptance_of_the_Mentally_Handicapped

Social Acceptance of the Mentally Handicapped Imagine you are walking through the mall. As you are walking, you notice that people are giving you funny looks. Some people look at you as though you are from a foreign planet. Others glance at you quickly, afraid to make eye contact. A group of teenagers walk by you and look at you as though you have half of your lunch on your face and you didn’t notice. You can’t understand why people are acting like this, but you notice that it happens quite frequently. People ask you how your day was, but you notice that they don’t say it as though they really want to hear your answer. Granted, there are those couple people here and there that shoot a smile your way, or actually listen to your answer when they ask you a question. People who are mentally handicapped or have special needs are treated like this every day of their life. For them to be accepted into society is a struggle, and is something Americans today need to put effort towards to resolve. People often think that if a person is Mentally Retarded (M.R.) that they are not skilled enough to be able to take care of themselves and that they require the assistance of others in their life. What most people don’t know is that up to 90% of all M.R. cases are Mild M.R. These individuals are fully capable of living on their own and supporting themselves. The individuals that most people think of are those who have Moderate M.R. or worse. Individuals who have Moderate M.R. are those who may not be able to fully live on their own and require the assistance of others in their life to help them to complete various daily tasks, such as doing the laundry or balancing a checkbook. They benefit from living in a group home where workers are there to assist them with different tasks, but yet have the freedom to make their own decisions. Many of these individuals have a goal of eventually moving out of the group home and to be able to live on their own, whether it would be in a house of their own or in a supervised apartment setting. (Brisson, n.d.) In cities across America, the development of group homes for the mentally handicapped is dramatically increasing. While this is both a major step towards them being accepted into the community, it is also leading to a setback. The communities where these group homes are being placed aren’t very fond of the idea. Some communities believe that it “is of great concern and dramatically impacts the quality of life” (FCA, 2003) or that “they’re fearful about what it means for their image”(Brisson, n.d.). Communities across the nation are gradually starting to accept the fact that these communities won’t affect their “image” as much as they originally thought. Those who took the opportunity to meet their new neighbors have grown to accept them and have a more positive attitude toward the concept. An issue that is pretty controversial in society today is whether or not children who are mentally handicapped should be integrated into a typical classroom setting at a public institute. In 1975, the Developmentally Disabled Assistance and Bill of Rights Act declared “the rights of mentally retarded people, including the right to training to develop their capabilities to the maximum” (Brisson, n.d.). A study was done that consisted of surveys being given to 460 parents of children who had some form of being mentally handicapped. These surveys asked the parent’s opinion on the addition of their child to a public school setting. The surveys showed that those parents who were supportive of the idea thought that the setting would be extremely beneficial for their child to learn. The parents who disapproved of the idea believed that their child was either to severe to benefit from their addition to the classroom, or were fearful of the acceptance of their son or daughter into the classroom by the other kids in their class (Palmer, 2001). Parents, no matter the child, are very protective of the children. Those parents of mentally handicapped kids sometimes tend to be even more protective, wanting to protect their child from the hurt and ridicule of society. While the parent is looking out for the best interest of the child, it can also hold the child back. In some cases, the typical classroom setting might be the best scenario for child, but the parent’s fear of their rejection with holds the opportunity from them. If a parent does choose to place their child into a public school system, there are several factors that can determine whether or not the child will benefit from this experience. One major factor is whether or not the child’s peers choose to interact with him or her. If the non-handicapped children play with the child during recess or sit next to him or her during class will have a major impact on the whether the child will have a beneficial experience. Also, how the child thinks his/her school performance is. If the child interacts great with the other kids in the class but feels the actual schoolwork itself is hard and non-passable, then they more than likely won’t have the ambition to come back to school. A third factor that plays a vital role on the integration of the child into the school setting is whether the teacher wants the child there. If the teacher doesn’t have the patience or the compassion to teach the child, the child will feel neglected and unwanted. (Hurley, n.d.) Individuals who are mentally handicapped need the opportunities given to them to establish friendships in their life. No matter who you are, friendship is one of the most essential assets you can have. Everyone needs a person to talk to or play with, someone who likes you for who you are. Studies show that friends give you a source of mental stability and that by having friends you can significantly help your mental health. Those who are mentally handicapped often struggle with making friends due to various reasons. Some individuals might not have opportunities readily available to them, while others might not have the self-confidence to be able to approach people. (Richardson, 1989) In conclusion, in society today the mentally handicapped struggle with the task of being accepted by the general public. The littlest thing can brighten their day, such as a smile or a simple hello that is said with meaning. For them to be accepted into society today, the movement needs to start with us. We can make a difference in what the generations aftere us believe. But for this to happen, we first have to look into our own hearts. To quote Confucius, “To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.”