Unveiling the Disability: A Study of Social Discrimination in Contemporary American Memoire

Abstract

The study aims to explore social discrimination as experienced by disabled persons and depicted in contemporary American memoirs by the disabled person. It investigates the effects of stigmatisation and negative stereotypes as experienced by disabled persons in their memoirs, which further trigger social discrimination in contemporary societies. By examining these
memoirs, the research aims to shed light on the societal challenges faced by disabled persons and contribute to a broader understanding of disability in the social context, with special reference to “Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law” by Girma (2019). The research is carried out according to the theoretical perspectives of Dunn (2015) by employing the
“Qualitative Textual Analysis Technique”. The study reveals that negative stereotypes, attitudes, and stigmatisation often result in social discrimination of disabled persons. Social discrimination further leads to psychological discrimination despite various anti-discrimination laws enforced for decades in the United States. It also sheds light on the measures taken by disabled persons to
overcome the negative impacts of social discrimination in practical life.