Living with a disability, along with its corresponding effects, may pose various challenges to a person. However, this shouldn’t hinder you to be the best version of yourself.
Whether it’s about having visual impairment, hearing disability, physical disability, intellectual disability, or autism spectrum disorder, living with a disability poses an eminent challenge to a person. It can also be challenging and overwhelming as they have to deal with many problems from the time they’ve learned of their condition.
Most people with disability (PWD) experience varying treatments from the people around them. If you’re a person who lives with a disability, and you’re wondering what programs you can make use of, you might require the help of various legal service providers such as Terry Katz and Associates to help you learn of some initiatives and programs which you can use.
What is Disability and Who are People with Disabilities?
Most people with disability often have a hard time accepting their condition. These may be because of some factors generated from their experiences. Here’s a list of the things which will be beneficial to understand people with disabilities better:
- The term person with disability (PWD) is used to refer to all people with disabilities, which may hinder their complete and effective participation in society equally with others.
- The term PWD includes those who have long-term physical, intellectual, or sensory impairments.
- Having this condition may significantly impede people from doing things which they’re supposed to do normally.
- It’s important to know that the perception and reality of living with a disability depend on the assistance and services, technologies, and cultural considerations. The factors aforementioned are significant contributors to a PWD’s perception of their condition.
- Also, certain words, such as “crippled”, “mentally retarded”, or “disabled person” are derogative terms to refer to a PWD. In regard to this, every PWD deserves equal respect from the people around them, even in the words used to refer to them.
7 Programs and Services for PWD
Living with a disability allows people to have certain advantages in terms of their social, physiological, professional, and psychological needs. Below are specific programs which are connected to the aforementioned concerns:
- Housing
The federal government provides rental and subsidized housing for PWD. They are offered rental assistances and housing vouchers which they can utilize whenever they’re looking for a house to stay in. Other assistances provided to PWD include in-home care services to better help them with their medical needs and concerns.
- Livelihood Support
Livelihood support systems which focused on various measures for supporting livelihood of PWD are developed. These systems focus on promoting overall livelihood and well-being of members of the PWD community.
- Communication and Information
Various programs have been implemented to promote independence and participation in the society through developing individual capacities and using IT or information technology.
- Transportation
Care management systems and training care systems provide beneficial initiatives for members of PWD community in terms of transportation. Private and public vehicles and public transportation are designed to cater to PWD’s needs and convenience. Hence, PWD-friendly buses and trains have been a significant aid in meeting a PWD’s transit concerns. Accessible public transportation systems and walking services have also been promoted.
- Health Care
Woman seated in wheelchair facing woman in hat; image by Judita Tamošiūnaitė, via Pexels.com.
Members of PWD community are given health care benefits and reliable medical services which they can utilize whenever they need such. Programs such as health services, medical treatments, and medical rehabilitation for PWD are also offered for detection and treatment of other illnesses.
- Education
Various educational supports and benefits have been made in consideration to the educational needs of children with disabilities. Also, thorough and systematic education and remedial trainings are offered to children with special needs. Children with disabilities, especially those with learning disabilities, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and autism are provided with appropriate educational support.
- Employment
Employment quota systems are implemented to promote equal employment opportunities for PWD. This system has been a central pillar in promoting employment of PWD and supporting them to develop self-reliance and active community participation.
Bottom Line
Living with a disability, along with its corresponding effects, may pose various challenges to a person. However, this shouldn’t hinder you to be the best version of yourself. Having this condition may initially be challenging and difficult to deal with, but nothing’s impossible if you only learn to accept who you are and how much of an extraordinary person you may become.
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