The History of Disability

[Marta Russell]

Leo --
I don't believe that women are informed - the way that policy is
discussed and implemented around prenatal testing shows considerable
ignorance about impairment and disability.   There is not an equal
playing field because society is biased and prone to dispose of
impaired persons.  This is a major part of the oppression, so though a
woman has the potential to make informed choice she often is not
making it as fully informed individual.  Her (or anyone's decisions)
are conditioned by medical professionals and the society. Hence
selective abortion for disability is dominant.  Blind, deaf, mobility
impaired, missing a limb, these are all undesirable in the medicalized
view of disability.   Rather still, the question is why is the
impaired body so unwanted?  My short email answer is because we are
devalued as workers, excluded from the means of making a livilihood in
this capitalist economy which "disables" those with significant
impairments.  I have already written at length about this in several
papers.  I would highly recommend that you read Michael oliver
"Understanding Disability: from Theory to Practice" (1996 St. Martin's Press).
Yes, I do draw a line -- at conditions that would result in death in a
short time, say two to three years.  
As for the genetic screening angle -- shall we get rid of all the
invisible disabilities, that is the fetus which may develop prostate
cancer at age 50-60?  You see the absurdity of tinkering with this.  

Marta