The History of Disability: The Power of Advocacy

My biggest take away from Dr. Kiesling’s lecture on the history of disabilities was the power of advocacy. Community inclusion and humane treatment for people who have disabilities has evolved drastically over the last few centuries. I was shocked to learn about how negated and isolated people who had a disability were – it made me sick to my stomach. In the mid 20^th century when parents, family, and the government began to get involved with mistreatment issues, change began. 

Advocating for people with disabilities brought significant change in laws, viewpoint, and opportunity. Ed Roberts stuck out the most to me because he never took “no” for answer, which he learned from his mother. Ed Roberts advocated for himself to attend college, which opened the door for other people with a physical disability to attended college. Ed became the director of the division of vocational rehabilitation – a place that once told him he would never find work. Ed Roberts is an inspiration for us all and a model of self-determination. As an occupational therapy student, I am currently learning about the importance of advocacy for future clients. Advocating brings about significant change, which is supported by examining the history of disabilities.

Before beginning OT school, I moved back home and worked at The Arc of Frederick County. I was a “coach” and supported several people with different disabilities. I essentially just drove them around, helped them with their goals, and spent time with them doing whatever they wanted to do. I am so grateful I had opportunity to get to know so many extraordinary people on such a personal level because I had never been very close to someone with a disability before. While working at The Arc, I realized many people did not know how to put the person I was supporting before their disability, which made me an example of how to react and treat them. I was an advocate for the people I supported and helped them advocate for themselves. I fell in love with working with people who have disabilities and I will forever be an advocate.