If we look into our life more carefully, we can easily find that there are some systemic injustices toward disabled people. In daily life, we may not have many disabled people in sight, but it does not mean that there is very few disabled people in our country, and the proportion of people with disabilities in our country is definitely not the minority.
We really need to pay more attention to the disabled and reduce these systemic injustices in order to help these disadvantaged groups. Unfair treatment of people with disabilities has been going on for a long time, discrimination against persons with disabilities is indeed a very common problem in society. You might ask, what kind of systemic injustice do disabled people suffer?
First and foremost, the disabled are extremely inconvenient when it comes to travel around. We might found that most of the facilities for the disabled have been destroyed, and there are no convenient facilities for the disabled in some public places, such as barrier-free elevators in subway stations. Although there are blind sidewalk in many cities, many times it cannot really help them because of some unreasonable settings. Most of the barrier-free blind sidewalk that were originally set up specifically for the disabled are now occupied. As a citizen of the society, blind people deserve the right to travel freely, but these occupied blind sidewalk have prevented them from walking. In addition to being occupied, the blind sidewalk has a very serious problem with damage. The main function of the blind sidewalk is to guide the direction for blind people through the upper bumps, if the upper bumps are grounded, then it will greatly affects the use of blind people. Blind people might hit a wall when they are walking on the blind sidewalk. Barrier-free access becomes obstructed access. Some public services, too, refuse to let guide dogs in, it would made the disabled feel that their life were full of incomprehension. These examples of systemic injustice for the disabled need to arouse our attention. The disabled should enjoy the same social benefits as normal people. We should establish the concept of equality for all, and this problem can be quickly improved.
Second, there is also discrimination in the employment of disabled people. Because of the abnormal or loss of physical and mental functions, the disabled cannot engage in completely normal work as able-bodied people do. But this does not mean that the disabled are not laborers, do not have the ability to work. For the disabled, the difficulties they encounter in employment or the discrimination they encounter are a kind of untold pain. Even if the disabled achieve academic and technical success through overcoming all kinds of difficulties, they will still be rejected by the society. For them, it is not only too harsh, but also too unfair! In the long run, the disabled are prone to inferiority complex.
To solve the employment discrimination of the disabled requires the joint efforts of all sectors of society. First of all, state agencies, public institutions and state-owned enterprises should set a good example in the implementation of laws, take the lead in arranging employment for the disabled, and encourage all sectors of society to form a good social atmosphere for respecting and protecting the labor rights of the disabled. In case of refusal to arrange employment for disabled people or discrimination against disabled people in the process of recruitment, relevant administrative responsibilities of units and people in charge shall be investigated and the employment rights of disabled people shall be effectively protected; Second, the federation of disabled people at all levels shall strengthen the construction of employment service agencies, provide employment information, vocational guidance, vocational training and other services, set up the disabled employment information network, let the disabled to be able to get a fair employment opportunities; Finally, it is necessary to strengthen the cultivation of the consciousness of safeguarding the rights of the disabled. Only when the consciousness of safeguarding the rights is enhanced, the disabled will take the initiative to safeguard their rights and have the confidence to go out of their home and integrate into the society.
For the disabled, work is not only just an occupation, but also the protection of labor rights and interests, the proof of their own value and the embodiment of personal dignity. It is hoped that all sectors of society will treat the disabled in a positive and friendly manner, promote their employment, and work together to create a better employment environment for the disabled, so that social fairness and justice will be more sunny.
Thirdly, there are a lot of people in life who have a discriminatory attitude towards the disabled, especially on the Internet, which is very common. A blind blogger recently shared some of his daily experiences, such as the difficulty of walking in blind sidewalk and the lack of voice prompts in elevators. He wants public facilities to be more accessible for people with disabilities. It’s a simple record of everyday life that has drawn some harsh comments: “Survival of the fittest. Your request costs too much.” “You want a city to serve you?”
These are the grievances that have been accumulating among the disabled, and they can slowly be suppressed. Don’t forget, each of us will eventually grow old and will probably lose our sight, our ability to walk or whatever, becoming one of those tens of thousands of people with disabilities. If you are healthy now, can you guarantee that you won’t have an accident or something that will cripple you in the future? Will you be able to experience this discontent and still live with it? If a disabled person can travel alone and live independently, even if only to reduce the degree of dependence on others, it will greatly reduce the burden on tens of thousands of families. It is cruel and ignorant to be able to say “minority” or “survival of the fittest” in front of the disabled. This is an unemphatic and extremely dangerous form of social Darwinian thinking.
There is no way of knowing which is better or worse, and once Pandora’s box has been opened, one day they can legitimately claim that the body is the standard of survival of the fittest, and tomorrow they will be hanged on the basis of wealth and intelligence. No one knows when he will become what others call a “minority” in his life. A car accident, a machine tool error, an illness, even without any accident, just because of old age, poor eyesight, inconvenient legs and feet, or even just a fracture, can let them know: What you scoff at today as a barrier-free passage may become a condition for survival tomorrow.
At the very least, every one of us will encounter obstacles, such as carrying heavy luggage only to find that there is no downward elevator in the subway, or a person pushing the baby’s stroller only to find that the front is full of stairs… Aren’t barrier-free facilities more reasonably designed to provide convenience for all of us? They are indifferent to other people’s problems, just because they haven’t caught up with them yet. Everyone has the right to live with equal dignity. The test of a country’s civilization is not how high the buildings are or how fast the cars are, but our attitude towards the vulnerable groups. What should be eliminated is imperfect products, imperfect environment and our inherent prejudice against the disabled.
Although disabled people cannot be completely equal to us, they can also embrace life in their own way. Respect must be built on a virtuous circle, and any unilateral output of values and feelings will inevitably bring greater problems. If our eyes only focus on the form of their suffering—disability, instead of giving them gentle attention, how can we fundamentally help these people and treat them equally?
People with disabilities are also a part of this society, they also have the right to live well. They can work as well as pay taxes, but they do not enjoy equal treatment. People with disabilities do not want to be disabled. They also want to live a normal life and avoid being judged by others. They also want to pay the same tax and enjoy the benefits and convenience brought by the society. But did they get what they wanted?
Disabled people is just like Spivak’s subalterns. Although disabled people have encountered many difficulties and systemic injustice in life, few people can understand them because no ordinary people can experience their feelings in firsthand. It is also difficult for people with disabilities to be heard, most people ignore their demands and even occupy their own interests. We should try our best to help them, not discriminate against them or let these systemic injustices exist in society. Let us listen to the voices of the disabled, understand their needs, provide them with convenience, eliminate the systemic injustice they suffer, and make this society a better place.
The following is a video about a disabled person in a wheelchair who encounters obstacles on the sidewalk when travelling.
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