Disabled Americans Fighting for Freedom from Beds, Wheelchairs and Society's Demands

Introduction

There is a growing segment of society known as disabled Americans. This is a segment of society everyone wishes to ignore or give minimal attention.

How big is this segment of society? Well, according to amednews.com, "More than 40 million Americans-- about one in seven -- are now disabled."

Out of these 40 million Disabled Americans, almost 12 million Americans say they need assistance with everyday activities. Contrary to the popular perception, millions of these individuals are not elderly. About 5 million are working-age adults and about half a million are children under the age of 18. (Information taken from the Long-Care PDF.) Many of these people are forced to live in nursing homes because they do not have the services available within their communities to help them to remain in their homes.

This is not an article of opinion. It will contain some information about my own experience as a disabled person, but only in very basic terms. My situation is one which needs improving and could benefit from the information and actions mentioned in the article, but I am lucky compared to many other Disabled Americans. The focus of this article is not to tell my own story, but to plead the case of all Disabled Americans especially those who are fighting to get out of nursing homes where they are forced to live. It is to provide information about the needs of those who are currently disabled and those who will become disabled.

This article contains facts, and it represents a segment of this society which is growing on a daily basis.

You can no longer consider Disabled Americans as a minority of our population. We are a growing segment, and we are a group of people who deserve the same civil rights as every other person who lives in this country. We have the right to choices and to live in our homes. We do not deserve to be punished because we live with disabilities which may limit us, but which do not take away from our value as American citizens.