Priscilla Merriam: Great Britain Scrapbook
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Priscilla Merriam was physically disabled and lived her life travelling the world in a wheelchair. During her travels she spread awareness about disability and how to properly treat people who were managing any sort of disability. Throughout her travels she made scrapbooks to highlight memories of her journeys and showcase the efforts she has made to spread disability awareness. Along her journey she would have meetings with people to discuss the issues she would face and highlight common oversights that people did not realize to help spread awareness about disability. I am hoping to help readers visualize the importance of empathy while also working together with other artifacts and entries to help envision a true harmony between individuals and their mindsets.
The scrapbook is labeled “Great Britain,” but it is full of Pricilla’s adventures all over the world from pictures, postcards, menus, to even some journal entries listing all the locations she visited. She visited many countries, trying to establish a foundation of education on her beliefs regarding disability. Priscilla’s main goal was to create an equal society and to make sure that life was not as difficult as it had to be for those who are disabled. There was, and still is, so much discrimination shown towards people with disabilities. Although there has been a considerable amount of slight improvements, there is most definitely a good amount of accommodations that can still be acted upon, whether it is by installing a ramp, an elevator, or training guide dogs. As a society there is a need to understand that everyone is human and deserves respect as such. The whole outlook on the topic of disability is to inform people to broaden their perspective and to try to understand what it might be like living in a body that does not function in a so-called “normal” way. Yet, that most certainly does not mean that the body cannot function at all. Our society depends on our willingness and capability to go after what is difficult and make the world a better and more inclusive place for everyone, not just to those who we think are fit enough to deserve respect.
In order to live active, integrated, productive lives, many people with disabilities require support and services. For decades people with disabilities were not able to get these needed services in their own home and community. One of the most challenging barriers encountered by people with disabilities is the dire lack of housing that is accessible, affordable, and integrated. This barrier forces many people into institutions. Some who are not forced into institutions, live in unsafe or substandard housing, live in desperation with family members, or pay extremely high rents and suffer financially. It was very quickly realized, not just by Priscilla but other speakers and activists as well, that something had to be done in order to not only help those with disabilities, but also help those who could potentially aid the cause once they opened their eyes to see how much help was actually required. Teamwork is essential.
Some ground work was done in order to help reduce the disparity of access to opportunity for people with disabilities in the form of legislation being passed. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is one of several disability related laws and usually the one with which many Americans are most familiar. The purpose of the law is to ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA guarantees this for people with disabilities in all aspects of everyday life, from employment opportunities, to being able to purchase goods and services, to participating in state and local governments' programs and services. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is another law that prohibits disability discrimination. This law is divided into several sections, all of which were put in place to help make accommodations to ease some of the hardships for those with disabilities. Employers need to remember to check for any relevant state and/or local nondiscrimination laws that may also apply. By understanding and fulfilling their responsibilities under the laws that prohibit discrimination based on disability, employers play an important role in delivering on America's promise of equal access to opportunity for all citizens.
There have been many activists who have spoken about equality in multiple different aspects, whether it be problems that are more widespread and well-known or incidents that happen continuously without much knowledge or care to change. Priscilla Merriam was one of these activists who traveled all over the world to spread her view on equality and positivity Priscilla along with many others brought about changes and evolutions in the world, resulting in efforts to make the natural and social environment more healthy and stable for someone who is living with disabilities. As with any obstacle, there is almost always a solution to it, it just becomes a matter of how creative we can be to try and overcome it and mend the gaps together. There is no reason to treat people differently for characteristics that they cannot control, or just sit and watch them go through unnecessary struggles. I hope that one day the outlook that we are all human and that we must work together to adapt will be normalized instead of just being shut down with the theory of “survival of the fittest."