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f Julia Strauss Third Place P RAMS Grade sl i mmons Human Rights Essay Although stereotyping, prejudice,, and discrimination can be discussed in many areas, such as race, religion, or economic status I am choosing to concentrate ray essay on hove these negative attitudes and actions occur in relation to disabilities. I made this decision because I have a physical disability (spinal muscular atrophy, a neuromuscular disease.) and feel that I have the most to say about this particular area. Because I use a wheelchair, I any going to base most of nay examples on nay oven observations of how many able odied eo p le react when they see someone using a wheelchair. hair. one common g eneral stereotype is that people thin. k those who use a wheelchair are somehow very different From other people, so much so that they couldn't ossibl p y have the same interests or needs as themselves. More s pecifically, I think stereotypes such as people in wheelchairs rust have incredibl boring and limited lives,. or "they all need a great deal of help f" are pretty common. However, the one that bothers rye the most is "they're all mentally challenged as well as physically challenged... Prejudices that relate to these stereotypes are feelings. such as All feel sorry for those people, "I.m uncomfortable around them," or "It would be a lot of work to be friends with someone like that —I'd probabl have to help then all the time, The discrimination I have noticed is not the kind that might spring to mind at first--things life being denied employment nt or refusal to rent an apartment. I'm thinking of actions that are more subtle, but still hurtful. Behavior like staring at a person in a wheelchair, minimizing in what the say as somehow less important, or not including them have the effect of saying that they are less valuable than other people.