Treatment of Disability (Essay Sample)

Treatment of Disability
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In the 19th century, the industrial revolution was at its peak. There was high demand for able-bodied persons to provide labour for the factories. The disabled were thus shunned and taken as part of the "worthy poor”. The "Worthy Poor" was a group of persons who could not work for lack of choice. The labour requirements did not accommodate the handicapped, and hence they were left to rely on government funding and benefits set aside for the disabled. Further, they also depended on the state for their medical provisions. At this time, there was a surge in homes and asylums for keeping the disabled. These institutions were set up as harbours of suffering such that even the able bodied poor avoided them at all cost.
There was a common belief that association and marriage with the disabled would eventually lead to weaker human race. This notion came from a group of scientists, politicians and intellectuals who misinterpreted Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection. The disabled were locked away in unisexual single-sex asylums or even sterilised to avoid breeding. Separate social institutions such as schools were also established to ensure that there was minimal interaction between the abled and the disabled. The 19th century saw great deprivation and abuse of the rights of the handicapped.
Reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities infers the adjustments that are necessary to the work environment to accommodate the disabled. All employees ought to be...