LION ON THE WALL
The stigma attached to people with developmental disabilities is similar to many other social rights issues we have seen in the past. The way different age groups and generations deal with these problems are few and far between, while advocates struggle to push toward better understanding. Both public prejudice and ignorance have a strong influence on the stereotypes. Society places people with disabilities into the margins of our culture. Professionals place these bias people into two main categories: authoritarianism and benevolence. Authoritarianism is the opinion that people with mental challenges cannot take care of themselves. Authoritarians do not want to deal with them and feel medical facilities or institutions are a proper systematic method of treatment. Benevolent individuals act as sensitively as though they are dealing with a newborn baby. They show care and compassion, but often over-exaggerate their interactions, dialog, and support; they treat the disabled as completely pure and childlike. These “considerate” people have a kind, though naïve, outlook, while others conceitedly flaunt their good character for display.
Not all perceptions result in negativity. There are numerous services that develop positive influences and support for people with mental disabilities. The manner in which the government and social programs approach the disabled and their families is slowly evolving as well. The conditions of mental health care facilities have changed drastically over time. Less than fifty years ago, the majority of the developmentally disabled either lived with their families or in large ‘mental hospitals.’ The circumstances of these hospitals were far from pleasant, and became publicly scandalized in the 1970’s for their crude conditions. Today, the focus is more on the individual’s needs and goals. Even the terminology used has been shifted to a more encouraging context. One of the larger national service organizations, ARC, once stood for Association for Retarded Citizens, now they forgo the acronyms and refer to themselves simply as ARC. This push for this modern political correctness is evidence towards a constructive change.
The purpose of this project is to get a realistic and intimate glimpse at the everyday lives of people with developmental disabilities. Those represented in this work are very similar to you or I. They live normal lives, and have normal problems. The subjects in the photographs have various degrees of health both mentally and physically, some needing more help than others. The images are not trying to hide the fact they need a bit of assistance. The goal is to deliver an insider’s look into these people’s lives, providing a greater understanding.
