pSent via email 25 April 2003 5.20

Basser and Jones (2002:265) says that ‘in order for human rights to have a role to play in the lives of people with disabilities, two things are necessary. First, people with disabilities have to escape from the iron cage of the deficit model, where fault was located in the disabled individual. In this situation, it was assumed that, in order to be included in society, people with disabilities
needed to change to become like members of the society, rather than have society change to accomodate the difference.The second requirement is the shift from a protectionist/welfarist approach to people with disabilities to the more general recognition of people with disabilities as rights-bearers. When these conditions pertain, people with disabilities are able to recognize and respond to the social barriers to their inclusion’.               
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Sent via email 26 April 2003 15.15

Social System

A material society creates its own problems. On the one hand disability can be faced superficially by keeping a trim figure, dressing well and bothering about hair and make-up. These all 
conform to the accepted values of the society. On deeper level the opportunity for a good and possibly university level of education may help to detract from some of the socially felt stigmas of disability. 

The disabled must be given ample opportunity to develop and grow.