In week 9 you read about Harriet Johnson, a woman with severe disabilities who argues that able-bodied people cannot possibly understand the quality of life that people with disabilities experience. She believes that parents should not abort pregnancies when they learn a baby might be born with a disability because their child will live a full and productive life. Peter Singer, a philosopher, disagrees with her. You also read a chapter on the same topic in the Disability Studies Reader on genetic testing and abortion. In week 10, you saw a film about Ramon Sampedro, a Spanish man who believed that it would be impossible for him to live a full and meaningful life as a quadraplegic, despite his many accomplishments and meaningful relationships. You also read No Less Worthy A Life, about a man who initially agreed with Ramon, but eventually changed his mind after receiving needed services, and decided to go on living with his disability. Finally, in week 12, you saw a film about Mark O’Brien, a man who lost control of all the muscles below his neck following polio as a child, and lived most of his time in an iron lung. We saw his decision to experience sexuality and eventually a romantic relationship, because he believed that without these experiences, he would not be living a full and meaningful life. You also read two articles about sexuality and disability, addressing this topic.
For this essay, I want you to consider what it means to live a full and meaningful life. Can a person with severe disabilities, like Ramon Sampedro, Harriet Johnson, Larry McAfee, or Mark O’Brien, really live full and meaningful lives? Each one defined this a bit differently, yet all had some ideas in common. Using evidence (no need for exact quotes, but cite the articles in your own words) from AT LEAST FOUR of the READINGS, answer the following:
1. What does it mean to have a full and meaningful life for a person with severe disabilities? Obviously, this is a bit subjective, but consider what all the different readings have to say and find elements in common. Why are these things important and why?
2. All people need other people to live a full and meaningful life, but this is especially true for those with severe disabilities who need so much help. How could we improve the services we offer to people with severe disabilities to make sure they have the opportunity to experience a full and meaningful life?
3. How can we expand the social opportunities available to people with severe disabilities? Can jobs and education (including the other reading and class discussion we did on these topics) help expand these opportunities?
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