Addis Ababa institute of technology

Statistics and probability (Stat 2171)

Group - 1 assignment

Group members ID no

1. Hailemariam Arega ------------------------------------------------------------------ UGR/7412/12

2. Gosaye Emshaw---------------------------------------------------------------------- UGR/1636/12
3. Hayat Tofik --------------------------------------------------------------------------- UGR/2987/12
4. Genet Desta --------------------------------------------------------------------------- UGR/0196/12
5. Hussein Mohammed ----------------------------------------------------------------- UGR/6859/12
6. Yonathan Tesfaye -------------------------------------------------------------------- ATR/3697/12

Submitted to: Lecturer Yabebal Ayalew.

 Submission Date: 06/05/2021 G.C.

Preface
Definitions of disability depend on whether the disability is approached from the realm of
biomedical or social sciences. From a medical perspective, a disability is a permanent injury,
illness, or physical or mental condition that tends to restrict the way that someone can live their
life. From social science view point, disability is not just a health problem; it is a complex
phenomenon reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the
society in which he or she lives.
Due to the diverse nature of disability and the society’s lack of solidarity, facilities for
people with disabilities are still insufficient. Disability encompasses people with various types of
impairment whether it is congenital or acquired (pre-natal or post-natal) and results in restriction
to use their full potential.
Vulnerability, as defined in the oxford dictionary, means exposed to the risk of being
attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. Vulnerability in this context can be defined
as the diminished capacity of an individual or group to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover
from the impact of a natural or man-made hazard. The concept is relative and dynamic. For
example, people with disabilities are among some of the most vulnerable people in our society
due to their dependence on others for care and support or because of social isolation, their place
of residence or the nature of their disability.
As this is an inclusive subject, the definition we use is as follows. Disability is a societal
imposition on people who have impairments, making it more difficult for people to do certain
activities or interact with the world around them.
 Common Terminologies
 Ableism is discrimination in favor of non-disabled people.
 Disablism is discrimination against disabled people.
 Bias is a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with
another usually in a way that’s considered to be unfair.
1. Conscious bias (also known as explicit bias) – are social stereotypes about certain
groups of people that individuals form and are aware of.
2. Unconscious bias (also known as implicit bias) – are social stereotypes about
certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious
awareness. Unconscious bias is far more prevalent than conscious prejudice and
often incompatible with one’s conscious values.

Impact of disability and vulnerability on daily life

The Impact of vulnerability and disabled should not be underestimated. People in these
circumstances are unable to represent their interests, and are more likely to suffer harm than an
average individual. On top of the inequities every person has to deal with, people with
disabilities encounter several censorship and obstacles throughout their lifetime. Some of those
include:
 Experiencing depression and social isolation as a result of their impairments.

 Financial instability, due to mental, physical, and social limitations.

 Stress coping with life transition, value changes and experience disability related
issues like stigma and discrimination across their lifetime.

 They also endure through adjustment and self-evaluation process. And much more.

Factors determining the Extent of Vulnerability

People with Disability Face
The first ever World report on disability, produced jointly by World Health
Organization and the World Bank, suggests that more than a billion people in the world today
experience disability. Therefore, about 10 percent of the world’s populations are people with
disabilities (PWDs). As the number of disabled people increase, the problems amplify in
proportion to it. Now, will try to see some of the factors that influence the extent to which
disabled people are handicapped in our society. The severity of these problems is affected by
different factors such as:
 Age
 Gender
 Type of impairment
 Cause of impairment
 Living condition and Poverty
 Family and Friends
 Personality
 Policy barriers and more.
Let us now meticulously evaluate each separately.

I. Age
Age is an indisputable factor among people with disabilities. Many scholars share similar
idea that children and old age are more vulnerable group of people within disabled groups. So,
people with moderate age are less vulnerable as compared to their older counterparts. This
Higher disability rates among older people produce much more risk – especially health related
risks – and it is also true for children under age five. study shows that nearly a third of people
with disabilities are over 50 years old in Ethiopia implying direct relationship between old age
and disability. This does not mean younger disabled people are not vulnerable whatsoever.
Rather, the older the disabled person gets, the more vulnerable she/he becomes to be neglected
relative to that of moderate age groups.

II. Gender
Studies confirm that although men and women with disabilities are subject to
discrimination, women with disability are at the further disadvantage because of the combined
discrimination based on gender and disability. Females with disability are much more vulnerable
than that of men with disability – comparatively writing. The main point here is that there is also
a gender component which results in exclusion in addition to being handicapped as a result of
disability. Consequently, women with disability are more vulnerable and handicapped as a result
of their gender as compared to men with the same type of disability.

III. Type of impairment

We know that there are different types of impairments. The severity of these different types
of impairment in turn have different implications. So, the people with more severe impairments
are more vulnerable to different difficulties. There are also people with multiple impairment
which leads much more to vulnerability relative to those having less impairment.

IV. Cause of impairment

The causes for disability are numerous. But generally, they can be divided into:
  Pre- natal – disability acquired before birth. It occurs because of a disease that
infected the mother during pregnancy or genetic incompatibility of parents.
 Per-natal – disability acquired during birth. They are caused by prolonged lack of
oxygen or the obstruction of the respiratory tract.
 Post- natal – disability acquired after birth. It is caused by an accident, infection
and/or others.
Pre-natal disability which is sometimes known as congenital disability is less likely to cause
frustration and anger than that of post-natal disability which requires a deliberate effort to get
accustomed to the new way of life one has to continue on with.

V. Living condition and Poverty

The living condition of PWD is one of the most factor in determining degree of vulnerability
of that PWD. Poverty and disability are mostly interrelated and are perfect example of a vicious
circle, since both can cause both. If the PWD is in poverty, the more he/she is vulnerable to be
handicapped and vice versa. On top of that the poor sanitation, crowded living conditions, and
little access to education compound the problems of a person with disability in that specific area.

VI. Family and Friends

Some disabled people are fortunate to be embedded in supportive, affirming communities of
family, friends, coworkers, and quality support professionals. This provides a solid base on
which to build successful, happy lives, and strong emotional grounding to tackle the inevitable
problems of disability life and the injustices of everyday ableism.
But a great many disabled people don’t have these support systems. Not all families are
supportive, and some can be downright cruel. Not all friends understand us. Coworkers can be
gossipy and back-stabbing. Bosses can be dismissive and vindictive. Doctors, therapists, and
teachers, even those who are well-meaning, sometimes have wrong and corrosive ideas about
what is best for us. The thing to remember is that most of these people don’t even know they are
being discriminatory. Most of the people are not conscious of their bias as we tried to mention in
the common terminologies part.

VII. Personality
Disabled people are subject to the same personality differences as non-disabled people.
Some are introverts, others are extroverts. Some are analytical, others more emotional. Some are
strategic, others reactive. Some take a detached, ironic, or sarcastic approach to their disability
struggles, while others are more sincere, serious, and grimly determined. Some disabled people
are proudly individualistic, while others just as proudly identify and struggle along with a wider
disability community.
These are all qualities that can be found in people with or without disabilities. And while
having a disability can influence how a disabled person’s personality develops, it’s probably
more accurate to say that their underlying personalities affect how they live with their disabilities
and present themselves as disabled people.
VIII. History with Disability
Another factor that makes a great difference is how long the person has had his/her
disabilities, for months, years, or decades, and how they got them, whether from birth, accident,
or illness. While the when, how, and how long of our disabilities doesn’t determine everything
about how we respond to them, but they are strong indicators of where each of us might be in our
thinking and understanding.
People who became disabled only a short time ago, due to illness or accident, are more likely
to view their disabilities as an unfriendly invader, as a purely medical problem, and not
necessarily something of political or social significance, or a vibrant, enriching community they
have just joined. People who have had a disability for many years or decades, and those who
grew up with disabilities, tend to be more at peace with their own disabilities. For one thing, they
either have no memory of not being disabled, or it was so long ago as to be a distant, formless
memory. People who have been disabled for decades and more truly understand what ableism
and are aware of how to deal with it. While someone who just became disabled are more
frustrated with their disability and put in a handicap position more often than not.

IX. Policy barriers

Policy barriers are frequently related to a lack of awareness or enforcement of existing laws
and regulations external icon that require programs and activities be accessible to people with
disabilities. Examples of policy barriers include:
 Denying qualified individuals with disabilities the opportunity to participate in or benefit
from federally funded programs, services, or other benefits;
 Denying individuals with disabilities access to programs, services, benefits, or
opportunities to participate as a result of physical barriers; and
 Denying reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, so they
can perform the essential functions of the job for which they have applied or have been
hired to perform

Impacts of Disability on the daily life of People with

Disability
I. Psychological Impacts
A handicapped person, being a member of a minority group and subject to the same
economic and social pressures as other minority groups, is likely to develop the same emotional
outlook as those who are discriminated against because of age, sex, religion or race. They face
mental health issues including anxiety and depression, loss of freedom and independence,
frustration and anger at having to rely on other people, loss of self-esteem and confidence,
especially in social situations.
 II. Economic Impacts
The inability to afford necessities for their impairment make impaired people to be disabled
and vulnerable as a result they experience financial instability because of their mental or physical
limitations. consequently, the country's economy decreases or become less advanced due to the
rise of dependency. This in turn decreases the participation of PWD because of the disabling
environment in infrastructure, public services, and job opportunities.

III. Political Impact

Individuals who are disabled and vulnerable encounter a lot of thwarts in the political sphere.
They don’t get accessible voter education and information. They are not included in civil
participation. Lack of aid materials in different political occasions like election and lack of
representative in the political arena stifles their voice and their political rights.

IV. Social Impacts

In the social context disability has a large sway on how the person interacts with other
people. Social exclusion which means a lack of belongingness in a given social context affects
the employment of the PWDs which in turn affects their financial circumstance. A person with
disability may face limitations in interacting with colleagues at work, fellow students and also
family members. This may be as a result of his pushing these people away or from the
stereotypes and societal attitudes toward disability. The impact of exclusion is that a person with
disability may lack social support and social skills – such as communication – to cope with the
disability.
Last but not least is Access. Society still holds biased stereotypes toward people with
disability. The social mode of disability indicates that the problem is with society's attitude
toward disability and not with the person with disability.
 References
3 Things That Influence How Disabled People Think About Their Disabilities. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2020/09/22/3-things-that-influence-how-
disabled-people-think-about-their-disabilities/?sh=2db2fce970a9
Common Barriers to Participation Experienced by People with Disabilities. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/disability-barriers.html
Disability. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability
Definition of disability and vulnerability. Retrieved from https://www.collinsdictionary.com
Howard A. Rusk, M.D. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF PHYSICAL DISABILITY.
Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/030802265001300402
Muleta Hussein Sedeto & Mohd Jameel Dar. Socio-Economic Challenges of Persons with
Disabilities: A Case Study of Ethiopia. Retrieved from
https://globaljournals.org/GJHSS_Volume19/3-Socio-Economic-Challenges-of-
Persons.pdf
Social impacts of disability. Retrieved from https://www.theclassroom.com