People with Mental and Physical Disabilities

Abstract

Culture and economic development influence how disability is perceived, distributed, and responded to. Physical disability resulting from disease, malnutrition, and accidents is more common in developing nations than in more developed nations (United Nations General Assembly, Resolution 37/53, Dec. 3, 1982). Poor prenatal nutrition, obstetric skills, and perinatal care are other sources of disability. Once a disability occurs, the affected child has considerably less chance of surviving due to impoverished living conditions (De Jong, 1987). Poverty and harsh living conditions may result in extreme solutions, including abandonment (Carreire, 1971;Levy-Bruhl, 1921). This higher prevalence of disabilities in developing nations has negative and, surprisingly, also positive consequences for those who have physical or mental disabilities. On the one hand, because of poverty and lack of health services, persons with physical disabilities in developing nations are less likely than those in more developed nations to have technical aids and accommodations that facilitate their interactions and functioning. On the other hand, perhaps because disabilities are more common in developing countries, and also because in these countries individuals are more integrated into family and mainstream society, persons with both physical and mental disabilities appear to be better accepted in developing nations.