2014_0407_CCpacket - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Attachment A Elijah Sailer-Haugland, 1st Place Grade 8, Gary Schwingle/Jeff Bibeau Roseville Area Middle School People encounter many different kinds of stereotypes. Ii does not matter who you are or where you are frorr�, you probably have been stereotyped or have stereotyped othexs at one point in your life. 1V�any stereotypes can i�npact one person, or a group af people like � family. One way to examine how stereotypes impact farnilies is thxough persor�al stories. �y sh�ring min�, T will c�emonstrate a real life example of s�ereotypes and their negative impact on peoples lives. �'or e�ample, stereotypes involving disabilities, senual orientation, and race can influence the way fa�aaidies are treated, and even da�nage theax human rig&�ts. I know �rst hand how pt car� feel to be stereo9.yped because of a disability. Often people make assumptions about disabilities that �rre not txue. �hen people see that someone has a disability such as Cerebral �'alsy, they often thirnlc the differently abled person can not walk and talk correctly or possibly not at all. I know that is not true. I have a disability called Cer�bral Palsy which �ffects the way � walk and tallc. Cea�ebral Palsy is condition that affects thousands of babies and children. 'I'he word "cerebral" rneans having to do with the brain. The word "palsy" means a we�kness in the way someone moves their body. �ecause sorneone can not walk or talk the sanae way as others, soraletitaa.es they are perceived as slow, dumb, or st�ep�d, but physical disability is not the saflne as cognitive disability. This bs similar to how sotne people talk �ouder to blind people, when bli�ndness doesn't �ffect hearing. �'he disabled pe�°so�, is made to feel �ess thaa� r�ormal. �iurnan rights violataons can soflnetianes be hiddeaa. 'This is often tr�e with Article l: l�ight to Equality frorri the YJniversal I�eclaration of �uman �ights (iJI�HR). Often people with disabilitfles are denied the "�iight to Equality" bec�use someone else assumes we are '°less important". For exarnple, whe�a I am trying joir� an with my friends and they are running off, � can not keep up with them because I run a little slower. IVyy friends assume that � am not interested in participating because they think the activity will be too hard for me, they think I�r�a too slow to be involved. T'hfls is often a siereotype of all people with disabilities. This viotates Article 1 of the �JI��. It might not be obvious, but my human rights are being