One billion people, or 15% of the world's population, are disabled. People with disabilities are part of the largest minority group in the world and not many people recognize this and often overlook it. The population discriminates against people with disabilities and this act of segregation is called ableism. Ableism dates back to 300 BC and affects everyone, everywhere, though especially people with disabilities. It's a huge problem that isn't talked about enough and should be fixed. The issue of ableism itself is contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created by the Draft Committee with Eleanor Roosevelt leading the meeting for its creation. It is a document that protects and affirms all human rights and was created on December 10, 1948 in Paris, France. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created to protect the rights of all, but the root cause was the Holocaust. After the discrimination and mass extermination of Jews led by Adolf Hitler, people wanted to make sure this never happened again. One of the most important rights of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is to be treated equally. Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen. Ableism is just one example. Ableism is a problem because people with disabilities are discriminated against, do not have a voice of their own, and are defined by their disability. This is a problem that needs to be solved, but to solve the problem of ableism we must first understand what it is. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Ableism is a problem that affects people around the world and affects people with disabilities. Ableism is not a well-known problem, but it occurs very often due to how normalized it has become in our society. In fact, an article published by the Achievement Center of Texas states, “Many, if not most, people with disabilities are victims of ableism.” Most ableism is caused by assumptions of people with disabilities. It can also come from people thinking they should feel sorry for that person or from stereotypes. An informative presentation by Devin Axtman stated that “It leads to disability being seen as *THE OTHER* and something to be overcome.” There is such a lack of knowledge about disabilities and how broad the spectrum of disabilities is. There are visible and invisible types of disabilities, but not many people may realize it. To truly illustrate what ableism is, one must look at its past and see where it originated. The problem of ableism must have arisen somewhere, some time ago. Amazingly, ableism has been around for more than 2,000 years. An early example of this can be traced back to 355 BC Records show that the Greek philosopher Aristotle observed that 'those born deaf become senseless and incapable of reasoning'. There are many important events that the disabled community has experienced. They can range from the “War of the Dots” – in which blind people argue in favor of traditional braille – to the opening of mental institutions. A document from the Bancroft Library shows '1848 The first residential institution for the mentally retarded is founded by Samuel Gridley Howe at the Perkins Institution in Boston. Over the next century, hundreds of thousands of children and adults with developmental disabilities will be institutionalized, many for life.' Ableism was and still is very present in the world. Many actions and events that occurred were largely against the disabled community. Now that we know where it comes from, we need to know why it was born. There are many factors that yesthey accumulate to raise the issue of ableism. One of the many reasons for ableism is negative attitudes towards people with disabilities. Additionally, people draw conclusions very quickly and make assumptions about people with disabilities. A post on Erin Human describes that 'There is no single cause of diabilism; rather, it is a complex and interconnected set of prejudicial attitudes, assumptions, and biases.' Furthermore, a large part of the population is inexperienced and uncomfortable with people with disabilities. Even though they represent 15% of the world's population, not many people know how to interact with them disability, states that "this guy has always seen disabled people only as objects of inspiration." If society continues to exclude people with disabilities, less often 6 people will meet someone who has a disability. The only way to correct these assumptions and negative attitudes towards people with disabilities is to make them part of the community, many factors contribute to ableism and it is a huge violation Ableism should not be overlooked and is a serious problem where people with disabilities can feel violated. Everyone should be treated equally, but when society allows people to treat others differently because of their disability, society is one step closer to a more segregated world. A report presented by H-Dirkson L. Bauman, a doctoral candidate, states: "Some people believe that it is ableism that prevents disabled people from participating in the social fabric of their communities, rather than impairments in physical, mental, or emotional abilities." . .' An extreme violation of people with disabilities was the Nazi euthanasia program. This program was created to kill and exterminate people with disabilities so that a "pure" race could exist. The chemical used is called Tiergartenstrasse or more commonly known as T4. It is estimated that approximately 250,000 people have been killed by this program. An article in the Holocaust Encyclopedia explains: "In the spring and summer months of 1939, a number of planners began organizing a secret murder operation against disabled children." Killing people because they are “unworthy of life” or “a burden” is truly inhumane and unthinkable. Ableism should not be a problem nor should it be violated because there are laws that prevent it. There are several laws and documents that have been put in place to reduce ableism. One of the best-known documents that protects the rights of people with disabilities is the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. The ADA was created in 1990 and prohibits discrimination based on disability in employment, government, transportation, and provides people with disabilities equal opportunities to participate in events and activities. A guide to disability rights laws from the U.S. Department of Justice explains “The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial establishments, transportation, and telecommunications .' There is a range of laws and documents that benefit people with disabilities ranging from the Civil Rights Reform Act – which hopes to stop discrimination in disabled applicants – to the Rehabilitation Act – which authorizes funding for disability-related activities United States has a webpage that states: “There are five important federal laws that protect people with disabilities from discrimination in employment and the job application process: The Americans with Disabilities Act The Rehabilitation Act The Workforce Investment Act The Vietnam EraVeterans" Readjustment Assistance Act The Civil Service Reform Act.' These documents and laws are all very important and represent a significant help to the disabled community. A very famous document in which ableism is included and violated is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Ableism is a global issue despite its presence in one of the most famous human rights documents. The articles violated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are article one, two, nineteen and twenty-three. In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 1 reads: “All beings Humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards each other in a spirit of brotherhood." Article nineteen states that everyone has the right to express their opinions without any interference from others of other people. Article twenty-three states that everyone is treated equally in work environments and everyone receives equal pay. In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article two states: "Everyone has the right to all rights and freedoms set out in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.' All of these articles are in some way in favor of the disabled community, from all those who are treated in a spirit of brotherhood to all those who have equal opportunities and treatment. Now, since the issue of ableism is discussed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, why does it exist? Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a well-known document, not many people pay attention to the human rights listed. Many people don't really know how broad the disability spectrum is. Instead, people think that accommodations need to be made only for those who are physically disabled. Although the government has done everything to reduce the challenges for people with disabilities through laws or other benefits, not all of them are accessible to everyone. An article written on Bulawayo 24 News by Linda T. Masarira explains: 'The government has enacted various laws to address disability in order to mitigate the challenges disabled people face. The Persons with Disabilities Act and the Mental Health Act are some of the legislations. The Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Services also deals with disabled people in the Social Services department. Disabled people are provided with small subsidies and food. However, these benefits are not accessible to most disabled people.' Communities do not know how often people with physical disabilities use accessibility ramps and other mobile adjustments put in place by the government. Some people really need them to get around and many places where you think they aren't needed, don't have them. An article written by Rachel Bluth of the Washington Post states, "Laws meant to prohibit discrimination against disabled people fall short when it comes to visiting the doctor's office, leaving patients with disabilities navigating a complicated obstacle course that not only it makes them feel uncomfortable but also jeopardizes their care." Few people realize how necessary it is to make these adjustments. Now we know why it exists despite belonging to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but we don't know who or what put the issue of ableism into action. Everything and everyone can be responsible for discrimination against disabled people. Ultimately, all the misinterpretations and stigma surrounding people with disabilities. The people whothey increase this stigma and support it, or follow it, they increase the issue of ableism. A common stereotype of people with mental illnesses is that they are all violent when in reality they are not. The Ontario Human Rights Commission wrote: “Discrimination against people with mental health or addiction problems is often linked to prejudicial attitudes, negative stereotypes and general stigma surrounding mental health and addictions.” All of these concepts are interconnected.15 Some schools may increase the stress that children with disabilities may or may not already suffer. Schools can apply unnecessary pressure and make a student feel bad about themselves because of their disability. For example, a child with dyslexia should not be forced to read a higher level book to “train their brain.” A post written by Thomas Hehir of Educational Leadership states that "negative cultural attitudes toward disability can undermine opportunities for all students to participate fully in school and society." Society cannot simply wait for something magical to happen and for the ability to suddenly disappear, no, society must instead take measures to make students with disabilities feel more comfortable in schools or to educate the public on disabilities. These responsible people and actions greatly influence a group of people. With ableism, there are daily obstacles that people face. People who have the ability to speak, hear, read, write, and understand face communication barriers. People with low vision may encounter barriers for things with small print and no large material or lack of Braille. People with hearing impairments may have difficulty with videos that lack captions or lack other forms of communication such as American Sign Language. An article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains: “Almost everyone faces challenges and hardships at one time or another. But for people with disabilities, barriers may be more frequent and have a greater impact." There are also mobility issues for those who are physically disabled and economic issues for those who require prosthetics, wheelchairs, hearing aids, etc. A post written by Linda T. Masarira of Bulawayo News states: "The challenges that disabled people face range from physical (structural), emotional, economic and psychological, educational and cultural." People with disabilities can easily be targeted and pushed around because people see them as inferior. Although people with disabilities face most challenges, their families can face them together. Families play an important role in the life of a family member with a disability. There are mothers who are afraid that their child will be discriminated against, who try to hide their disability as best they can. People may also think that non-disabled family members are standing in the way of a more inclusive society. An article written by Dr. Susan L. Neely-Barnes states that “qualitative research findings also show that families may collude with an ableist agenda and seek ways to make their member with a disability appear less disabled.” In the mid-1900s, patients were admitted to psychiatric institutions often by family members because they were considered a burden. Patients could not argue and were not taken seriously because of how they were viewed with their disability. In an article on the treatment of disabled people throughout history we read: “Patients were often hospitalized by their families against their will because they were seen as a burden; the patientsthey could not contest the confinements. Although families cannot enroll their children in an institution, there are ways in which families behave towards their relatives that can make them experience a range of emotions. Families, including people with disabilities, face hardships, and when you realize how many people face these hardships, it would be hard not to be amazed. Contrary to what many people think, there are actually many people with disabilities. The American Community Survey estimates that the number of people with disabilities in the United States was 12.6% in 2015 and has increased since then. In 2010, this percentage was 11.9%. A report compiled by the ACS states that “The American Community Survey (ACS) estimates that the overall rate of people with disabilities in the U.S. population in 2015 was 12.6%.” The state with the lowest percentage of 23 people with disabilities is Utah at 9.9% and the highest is West Virginia at 19.4%, almost double that of Utah. That said, it's clear that people with disabilities represent a huge portion of the population and to make them feel more included, society needs to make the necessary changes. A report from Disabled World states that “Understanding the prevalence of the disabled population in various counties and cities across the United States is important so that programs, urban, community, service planners, and researchers can make decisions and address the needs of people with disabilities.” A large number of people have disabilities and for this reason the community must welcome them with good intentions. With this vast number of people with disabilities, it would be hard not to come across one and when some people do, their reactions can be surprising. People with disabilities are prone to a lot of reactions from strangers. When people meet a child with a disability, their reactions can be strange precisely because it may be the first time they meet a child with a disability and it is something very new for them. Some reactions towards a child with a disability might be shocked, confused, unsure, fearful, curious, staring, offering help, ignoring or avoiding that person. A collection of experiences of disabled people states that "People with mobility problems were offered a seat on the train or help with shopping." But people have also been victims of petty crime and have been challenged by the public for wearing the blue badge.' It's a cauldron of 26 reactions that people with disabilities experience sometimes every day. One reaction people might have is that they want to include and represent people or people with disabilities, although they have good intentions, many are horribly misunderstood and represented in pop culture. Pop culture does not represent people with disabilities in the right way and for this reason they are often misunderstood. People with disabilities are represented more often in pop culture, but many times they are not represented correctly. An example of misinterpretation is the magical little men or dwarves who bring magic to people and live in the forest, but currently there are people living with this disability. Another trope is the helpless victim trope, which states that a person with a disability cannot take care of themselves. The final misinterpretation is the eternal innocence trope where a character with a disability is and always will be completely innocent. A piece written by Sean Arnold, a person with a disability, writes: "On the opposite end of the spectrum, the mere presence of a person with a disability attempting a sense of normalcy should not be considered inherently moving. Someone in a wheelchair can being an idiot in a wheelchair.' It's there tooan incredible amount of disabled characters played by non-disabled people. A recent study shows that 5% of disabled TV characters are actually played by people with disabilities. An article written by Bethonie Butler explains, "On television, the number of actors without disabilities playing disabled characters is staggering." These misinterpretations of people with disabilities can send the wrong messages. One effect of this misinterpretation of people with disabilities is that many are unaware of how financially taxing it is to have a disability. People with disabilities have greater economic needs than those without disabilities. There are services that help with the financial situation of disabled people. One common one is a long-term disability insurance policy that costs 1-3% of someone's annual salary. Factors such as age, health, employment, and even where someone lives can change the amount of money an LTD policy will cost. Policy Genius clarifies: “In most cases, a long-term disability insurance policy will cost 1-3% of your annual salary and is the most affordable form of income protection you can get, starting at around $25 per month and going up to $500 per month.'29 Two other important services that help people with disabilities are Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income low income and with fewer resources. The current benefit is $735 per month SSDI is an insurance program for workers who become disabled and are unable to work after paying Social Security taxes for at least 10 years. . The American Psychological Association writes: “The high incidence of poverty among people with disabilities raises questions about the adequacy of public assistance for these individuals and incentives to help people return to work.” While some of these services might be difficult to make, they benefit you immediately, they help in the long run. Many people and companies have worked to make living with a disability more accessible, which is a huge improvement in the making. The way people with disabilities are treated has improved over the 2,000 years since its inception. A huge step for society was the deinstitutionalization that began in the 1960s. This was a government policy that moved mental health patients from state-run "asylums" to community mental health centers. This occurred due to the development of psychiatric drugs that treated many symptoms of some patients. Society also realized that the mentally ill needed to be treated rather than locked up. An article by Kimberly Amadeo of The Balance points out that “deinstitutionalization has successfully given more rights to the mentally disabled. Many of those admitted to psychiatric hospitals have lived in backward areas for decades. They received varying levels of care. It has also changed the culture of treatment, moving from “sending them away” to integrating them into society where possible.” Initially, attempts were made to "cure" people with 31 disabilities through methods such as electroshock, but it was clear that this did not work. Help with deinstitutionalization came in 1980, when President Jimmy Carter signed the Mental Health Systems Act, which hoped to restructure the community mental health center program and improve services for people with mental illnesses. Medicaid has also made a great contribution and support to deinstitutionalization. People have used all kinds of strategies to fight for disabled people and get thereWhere are we now. In order for improvement to begin, certain strategies must be used; some are effective and some not so much. There are many ways people try to limit ableism, and some strategies have worked, others haven't. There are a large number of organizations that all use different strategies to combat ableism. Two examples are the American Association of People with Disabilities which seeks to implement anti-discrimination laws for people with disabilities, and the National Organization on Disability which raises disability awareness by disseminating news, information and resources. The National Center on Disability and Journalism states that "AAPD works in coalition with other disability organizations for the full implementation and enforcement of disability nondiscrimination laws, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973". Another popular organization that uses effective strategies is VOR. VOR stands for A Voice Of Reason and their mission is to represent people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to the best of their ability. The VOR states, “For 30 years, the VOR has represented families of individuals with I/DD, many of whom experience severe and profound developmental disabilities, have multiple physical disabilities, and are medically fragile or experience dangerous behaviors.” 34 They also state that people and families of people with disabilities feel welcomed. Strategies like these have helped the disability community. A common strategy is to be more inclusive and make things more accessible to disabled people. People have made some things more accessible to people with physical disabilities. There are a number of rules and requirements that a building must meet to be defined as wheelchair accessible. These things may be handicap accessible for those with physical, visual, auditory, or hearing disabilities. A guideline published by the National Disability Authority states that “The National Disability Authority Access Manual Template defines an access manual as an internal document for use by management, maintenance and new staff; and of which all staff should be aware.' However, there are some exceptions. Buildings constructed before 1992 do not have to follow the latest guidelines. Some guidelines include some wheelchair ramp measurements, the Braille option, an inductive loop system, and anything that needs to be illuminated. Access Advocates states that “The ADA is a civil rights law signed into law in 1992 by President George HW Bush. A small business owner should be aware that a provision of the law relates to public accommodations. This is a provision that makes it illegal to prohibit wheelchair access for disabled people.' These adjustments have helped people with disabilities in their daily lives. People have worked hard to get to this point. Many people actively work to make things more accessible to everyone, and people should recognize those people more often. There are people who have actively opposed ableism, and because they are better known than others, they can impact more people. There are different ways to talk about a problem. Some ways include direct action, film, journalism, media, and many others. There are people with disabilities who are activists like Minnie and others who don't have disabilities like David M. Perry. An article by Amy Bergen of Idealist Careers comments: "High-profile activists in the field of disability rights activism, many of whom have disabilities themselves, are changing the way Americans think aboutdisabilities". Perry advocates through journalism and is known for his thoughts on how people with disabilities are treated as he is the father of a child with Down syndrome and has seen firsthand how people treat others. Minnie is a Bangladeshi disability activist and had polio as a child which caused her to lose the ability to use her legs. She had to be brought to school the “Women’s Council” with the help of ADD International Minnie noted, “We decided to form “Women’s Councils” to address the problem. Today in our territory there are 10 councils where disabled women can report violence, torture and rape. To help manage the councils, ADD International offered me training in finance, office management, IT, advocacy – before I was completely ignorant about these things.' Anyone can be an activist if they truly have the drive and passion for what they are fighting for. Someone who does not have a disability can still support this problem even through small actions. Just because someone doesn't necessarily have ableism, they can still do everyday things that can help people with disabilities. One small action anyone can do is take the stairs instead of the elevator when possible to make room for people who really need it. Another very simple action you can take is to simply remember that people with disabilities are still people and do not want to be treated differently because of their disability. An article by Erin Tatum in Everyday Feminism states that "superficial circumstances, especially obvious ones like physical disability, can obscure who a person truly is." Don't sell yourself short with stereotypes. Get to know us. Humanity should be shared, not assigned in increments based on privilege or experience. A person with a disability can change your perspective on things, but it's just as likely that you can change ours too.' People with disabilities also want to be talked about like any other human being, even though some people may not know how to do so. When talking to someone with a disability, a person simply needs to be themselves but still be respectful of how they communicate. If someone doesn't want to talk about their disability, their requests must be respected. Latter-day Saints say, “Just as no person is the same as another, no person with a disability is the same as another, even if they have the same disability.” A disability is a functional limitation that can interfere with a person's ability to walk, hear, talk, see, think and learn, but does not affect every person the same way.' People with disabilities are the first people. They should be seen as people and each is their own person. People with disabilities do not need others to defend themselves, and many people with disabilities do many things, on their own, to defend their rights. People with disabilities have their own voice and are able to express their opinion and experience with ableism. There are many people with disabilities fighting for themselves and for the disability community. Many of them do this through talks which can be found on YouTube. One person in particular like this is Judith Heumann. Judith and other disabled people band together to fight discrimination and what was born is now called the Disability Rights Movement. Judith recalled, “But I was learning how my friends and people I didn't know all over the country were doing it.” This was what we had to be our own advocates for. That we had to react." Judith's calls were receivedresponse and a truly memorable moment was when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed. People with disabilities from all over the United States climbed the steps of the capitol when the ADA was passed. There are also people who don't live in the United States but are still active against ableism. An example is women with disabilities in Rwanda. A Rwandan organization called Umuryango Nyarwanda w'Abagore Bafite Ubumuga or UNABU is a group of women with disabilities who come together to empower women and fight violence against women with disabilities. The Disability Rights Fund explains: “Gaudence Mushimiyimana, herself a woman with a disability and co-founder and executive director of UNABU, leads a group of women with disabilities determined to address this issue and correct the difficult situations faced by women with disability". People with disabilities have proven time and time again throughout history that they are strong people who can fight for themselves and achieve the outcome they hope for. There are people with disabilities who fight for their rights through organizations they can join. There are numerous organizations that fight and make sure that people with disabilities are treated the same as everyone else. Some large disability organizations that benefit those with disabilities are the American Psychiatric Association, the National Organization on Disability, and the International Paralympic Committee. All these organizations focus on something different, for example the IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympics for able-bodied people, while others like the American Psychiatric Association - the largest psychiatric organization in the world - is a place where psychiatrists share their research and discoveries. with each other. The National Center on Disability and Journalism states that “National Disability Organization: Raises disability awareness through the dissemination of disability-related news, information and resources.” The NCDJ provides good information on many disability organisations. One specific organization is the Autism Society of America which focuses on people who suffer from autism. ASA participates in fair hiring practices and is an equal opportunity employer, as well as having one of the most visited autism websites. The Autism Society of America is a safe and welcoming place for people with autism and their families. The Autism Society of America states: “The Autism Society of America has been improving the lives of all those with autism for more than 50 years and envisions a world in which individuals and families living with autism are able to maximize their their quality of life, are treated with the highest level of dignity and live in a society where their talents and abilities are appreciated and valued.' Organizations hope to make people with disabilities feel welcome and part of their community. Many colleges and universities hold events to spread awareness about disabilities October is National Disability Awareness Month. Kent State University celebrates Disability Awareness Month every year in October. They organize many events that can educate the masses or make people with disabilities feel welcomed , auditory, motor and mental. Kent State University states that "SAS celebrates Disability Awareness Month - the "d" is intentionally lowercase to emphasize people's abilities rather than disability - each October in an effort to highlight the various and extensive capabilities..'