The Disabled: Ethical and Practical Issues Yet to be Resolved: What Can You Find Out and Tell Us About Them?

I have developed a number of threads on this blog presenting and discussing issues that deal with the disabled person such as the following:

"Thinking and Writing about the Disabled:Courageous or Burdened"

"Eugenics,“Feeblemindedness” and the “Droolers”: Stories of Stereotyping andDiscrimination"

Disability RightsGroups: Sacrificing the Individual for the Agenda?

The MentallyDisabled Women: Sterilization at the Request of Others 

“Better Dead ThanDisabled”: Bad Date and Bad Balance 

The Ashley Caseand What is Ethical?

Refusing to Cast aDeaf Ear to the Ethics of Maintaining Deafness within a Deaf Family

Many of the issues presented in these threads over the past number of years are still not  settled and some, of recent interest have not even been discussed here as yet..

Some of the issues still undecided by ethicists but also by the public are listed below.  I have not performed a library or Google search regarding the current facts regarding the status and full arguments for or against these issues to present here on my blog.

I thought it might be interesting to have my readers do the research on one or more of these topics and write a comment here about the arguments and status of the debate as researched.  On the other hand, based on their experience or current knowledge, some visitors might like to just write about their own opinions regarding any of these issues.

I hope my visitors don't think that I am just lazy making this request. I'm not. I just want to see, through this experiment how others discover and present the facts regarding these issues which are very important both to the disabled person, that person's family and to the society in general.  So go and Google the topic, learn and return and tell us what you know. ..Maurice.

The use of bionic eyes

The use of cochlear implants

Prosthetics for everyday use or competitive sports

“Normalizing” surgery for individuals with Down Syndrome

Limb lengthening surgeries (e.g., for individuals with achondroplasia)

The use of growth hormones

The use of “neuroenhancement” drugs (e.g., to improve focus, memory, or other cognitive functioning)

Laws that influence decision making on behalf of disabled children (e.g., the Swedish law requiring parents to consult with member of the Deaf community prior to agreeing to cochlear implant surgery for their child)

Growth attenuation procedures

Familial or community pressure to modify or refuse modifications of one’s body

Graphic:  Classic "the disabled" signage from Google Images