Disability and Culture

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Cultural Studies - Basics and Definitions grade: 1:1 (First Class) language: English abstract: Disability is a natural part of the human condition. Almost everyone you cross paths with will possess some form of deviance from the socially enforced ideological norm whether or not they choose to let this be apparent. Every person will at some point experience some form of impairment or disability during their lives; be it brought on by disease depression old age injury or deterioration. Disabilities are less the property of persons than they are moments in a cultural focus. Everyone in any culture is subject to being labelled and disabled. Yet despite the temporality of ability disability is still marginalised distorted and concealed within mainstream culture. Types and categories of disability are extensive escalating and erratic. It is therefore absurd that society clings to the notion of normalcy like an anxious child clutching its mother''s hand. People are disabled by culture as well as by society. Depending on how difference is perceived and acknowledged people can be enabled or disabled by those around them. Disabilities are therefore manufactured by society and represented by culture.