A debate furthers... Disability

following on with the 'helping others' discussion, which seems to have taken a slight twist, i would like to add this thought for those who have been paying attention. there is indeed an argument about self sufficiency that i feel needs to be put to the debate here.

initially, i am simply putting forward an abstract perspective here, so please don't chastise me for it if i cause anyone any offense, it isn't intended!

anyway, if we look at the issue of being 'disabled' in the eyes of society, then surely we have to take into account the element of self sufficiency with which someone can maintain as having an advantage with if they are 'able bodied'. indeed, in the animal kingdom, if, lets say, a wolf had a broken leg, it would be far more likely that it would struggle to survive against the other wolves in the forest as it would not be able to hunt as effectively as the other more able bodied wolves there. this is an argument that puts weight behind the argument that 'disabled' people are not merely so because the status quo of society deems them so because they are different in some way, but they have been deemed so because whatever condition they have simply means they are 'less able' to carry out certain actions than others.

*we all have our disadvantages and disabilities, just some are more physically manifest and others less so. it matters not. we all all have our part to play and our role to fulfill. *

there is a blog on bioethics that covers some aspects of this here - http://bioethicsdiscussion.blogspot.com/2007/10/disability-rights-groups-sacrificing.html