THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEGISLATION IN REGARD TO THE
RIGHTS
OF INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED PERSONS AND THEIR
ACTUAL
ACCEPTANCE BY SOCIETY
S.
Galor
Akim
Israel
In every society,
there is a human tendency to categorize people in
groups within the
society, in accordance with their religious, national
affiliation or
specific disability and to attribute negative image labels to
such groups. This
type of regard is characterized by alienating - and
even
harming those people, causing them to be marginalized in
society. The NIMBY
(not in my backyard) phenomenon is one of the
prominent
expressions of this social marginalization - which is
characterized by
citizens objecting to live near institutions for disabled
persons and
specifically, for intellectually disabled persons.
Intellectually
disabled persons encounter difficulties in integrating into
society due to a
fact which they are unable to change. The way
society relates to
their difference and their intellectual disability,
constitutes a
significant obstacle which is added to the difficulties
stemming from the
disability itself. Legislation in Israel
of integration and
equality when relating to disabled persons. The
basic principles of
the integrative policy are embodied in the law
regarding equality
of rights for disabled people, the United Nations
Convention
regarding the rights of disabled people which was signed
by the State of
Israel, its ratification process and legislation in the
spheres of
education, occupation, etc. These principles are also
reflected by the
rulings of Israeli courts. It is proposed that a hearing
should take place
regarding this matter, in order to present the gap
between legislation
relating to the rights of disabled people and
specifically, the
rights of intellectually disabled persons and their
acceptance and
actual integration into Israeli society and the methods
to increase
awareness and integration of positive standpoints vis-a-vis
intellectually
disabled persons and disabled people in general.
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