Independent Living

Comment Paper 4, Week 7

French, Sally and John Swain (2001). The Relationship between Disabled People and Health and Welfare Professionals, Ch 32 (pp 734-753) in Handbook of Disability Studies (Thousand Oaks, CA; Sage).
The medical professionals in our society are held in high prestige. This career takes years of school and thousands of dollars, so after graduation it is presumed that these doctors and specialists are knowledgeable on health and should not be second guessed. However, what happens when doctors power relations within society oppresses certain people? The relationship between the disabled and professionals is extremely complex since we are experiencing two groups with different statuses in society. One group is held high in power relations while the second group is seen as the “other” and is stigmatized throughout society. These questions are analyzed in the article by French and Swain.
Within the medical field, health professionals have the ideology that the disabled are dependent and have tragic life’s however these ideologies may contrast with the views of the individuals with the impairment. This is when the complex relationship starts, since it is a un equal relationship. Doctors see the disabled as passive (French&Swain, 2001:735) and assume that the disabled do not comprehend enough to understand what they need in life therefore allowing the doctor to take over these important decisions. (French&Swain, 2001:736) This allows the professionals to go beyond medical care and take control of housing, education, and employment. (French&Swain, 2001: 737).
Though this may be perceived as going beyond their jobs, it initially makes the disabled dependent on their health care providers which limits their social and economic life and independence. This however benefits health care professionals since the disabled then create more jobs for them to do which generates more income for them. There is also a connection that doctors do not see the disabled as people belonging to society but belonging to them (French&Swain, 2001:739) and this again connects back to the un equal relationships in the health care system. There is also the theory of Institutional discrimination in which the disabled are discriminated against in the hospitals or rehabilitations centers which they are residing in since there located in a social and physical world that is run by and for the non disabled. (French&Swain, 2001:741) This makes it harder for the disabled to feel they can lead an independent life outside hospital walls or even inside hospital walls.
This problem has been looked at by activist, and a solution to this un-equalness is to allow the disabled to treat the disabled however this challenges the traditional professional relationship with the disabled and this movement is still moving slowly since there is still discrimination about the disabled and the connection to career and education. Another action that is taking place to free the impaired from the medical model is the beginning of the DCIL, and there desire is to secure a full economic, public and social life for disabled people in accordance with their own wishes and desired lifestyles. This organization is very beneficial and is starting to grain notice within the disabled community. (French&Swain, 2001:747)
The power relations in the health care profession are complex since doctors treat the impaired as passive patients and try to influence their lives outside the hospital, since there are ideologies that the impaired cannot take care of themselves. The health care system needs to get rid of this institutional discrimination and treat the disabled as regular patients rather then objects whom live tragic lives and need someone to run their lives for them.

Tracy Hamalainen