Q: We have laws that are meant to prevent this from happening but they are also written to ban people from living an active life in the community. So why do we discrimate for? Is it that we as abled people feel insecure in ourselves or they are easy targets? The council has decided that in order for me to use their pools I must have a support person so to prevent me from falling down going to and from the pools. I can see the other side but being treated differently, looked down upon does not make the physically and mentally disabled people feel any better. Thank you for all of your answers and support!
A: I think that really depends. There are certain activities and jobs that disabled people simply can't do as wellas fully functional people. For example, you wouldn't hire a blind person to drive a taxi. Companies are concerned with work effeciency. If a disabled person is capable of doing a job just as well as a fully functional person, then it is less likely that they will be discriminated against. If, however, a disabled person can not do the work as efficiently as a fully functional person, then discrimination makes sense. In everyday life, however, discrimination against the disabled is a product of the general public's fear of difference. Anytime a person is percieved as different than the "norm", the general public's knee-jerk reaction is to shy away. I think this reaction is what causes the general public to treat disabled people differently. Unfortunate but true.