Disability Rhetoric

An essay derived from a statement presented before the United States Senate Committee on Health, education, Labor and Pensions on June 21 2012 from Ricardo T. Thornton Sr. Ricardo discusses his life experience in an institution, Forest Haven in Washington D.C.. He and many of his family and loved ones had been placed in institutions like Forest Haven, and he was very familiar with the abuses that take place when rights are not respected between client and caretaker. When he was able to leave Forest Haven, he lived in group homes where he met his future wife, Donna, and began to develop a good life for himself because he lived in a community which encouraged him to succeed. When given the opportunity, Thornton believes the disabled can succeed in society and that it is not good to separate the disabled from the community and any opportunity to succeed.

Quote:

“In the institution, I didn’t get to think for myself. The Staff thought for me and made all of my decisions. For a long time, no one expected anything of me.” Pg. 85

“I hear people say that some people are too disabled to live in the community, but I’ve seen people just like the people just like the people still in institutions who do so much better in the community – because no one expects you to do anything in the institution but survive.” Pg. 87

“Segregating people is always bad; people never grow in those places and are safer and happier in community.” Pg. 89

I thought that this essay was very well written. I would have loved to listen to this guy read his speech. Maybe it’s available online. The guy seems like an amazing person, and I wouldn’t mind meeting him, to be honest.