What an eye opening and informational experience I had on Tuesday. In my foundations class, we had a guess speaker who spoke on the topic of "The History of Disability in the United States". I knew that in the past that people with disabilities were treating unfairly and wrongfully, but I did not realize the level that this went to. The fact that in the early 20th century that these people were treated and put on the same level as a criminal blew my mind. I think about people I know in the present day that have disabilities and how confused and scared they would have been if the conditions were still the same today. Thankfully our society has had an almost 180 degree turn from what it used to believe and practice with this group of people. It is still crazy for me to think about how current some of the history we talked about is to now like the institutionalization of individuals for mild and more severe conditions alike and denying individuals basic human rights because of a disability.
In the field of OT, I'm excited to put the information to use that I gathered during this presentation to hopefully encourage people and give them back hope that maybe they have lost or have never found. There are so many extraordinary people with disabilities and it is amazing what they are capable of doing like many other people. This presentation I think is something that many people should be able to witness to give them a better understanding of how society has changed and to give them a better sense of appreciation for that change.
