Evidence and Examples
Disability is a condition that restricts people from doing their normal activities. Often people with disability are viewed as a social burden due to their restricted abilities. The term “Ableism” describes effective discrimination of non-disabled or “able-bodied people” against disabled people. This discrimination affects social well-being and also hampers the normal daily function of individuals. Diabetes is an effective long term disease that has the potential to disrupt the normal functions of individuals. Almost 8.8% of Canadian citizens have been diagnosed with diabetes and are currently forced to live with the condition. More than 30 million individuals in Canada have specific type II diabetes (LeBlanc et al., 2019). The prevalence of this disease has made it a “disability” according to federal laws (Carr et al., 2020).
Models of disability are essential elements that highlight the social and medical issues of disability. According to the “Medical model of disability”, individuals that have ability restrictions and deficiencies are “problematic” and can be treated as a social burden (Lawson & Beckett, 2021). On the other hand, the “social and human rights model” explains that disabled individuals possess similar capabilities as able-bodied individuals and disability should not be treated as a social disease (Retief & Letšosa, 2018). The government of Canada has effectively declared type I and type II diabetes as a potential “disability” (Brown et al., 2021). This has been done due to the different health-related abnormalities associated with diabetes, the constant need for measuring the blood sugar level etcetera. The present essay aims to discuss that diabetes is a potential issue of disability that makes diabetic patients a social burden in the eyes of able-bodied individuals. The essay shows an effective evidence-based structure to demonstrate the issue of diabetes as a potential disability issue. The diabetes management process has also been described in this context with adequate management solutions.
In nutrition, the disease diabetes demonstrates a chronic condition that restricts the body from insulin production (Awuchi, Echeta & Igwe, 2020). This often results in increased blood sugar levels; a disease termed diabetes. Generally, two types of diabetes can be observed in a population; type I diabetes where the overall insulin production from a person’s body stops and type II diabetes where the insulin production and effective use of the insulin reduces. In both types of diabetes, the normal bodily functions are disrupted as the excess sugar in the blood reduces the functionality of other organs and causes significant organ damage. The significant organ damage leads to associated conditions such as “nocturia”, “hyperglycemia”, “increasing thrust”, “frequent urination” etcetera. This impairs the normal daily function of individuals and forces them to lead a restricted lifestyle. Due to these reasons, Diabetes has been considered an effective disability. Moreover, individuals are required to monitor their blood sugar levels frequently in order to avoid any adverse conditions and the increased cost of diabetes management has made this a typical disability for the Canadian government.
“Self-management education or SME” is important in diabetes to effectively diagnose the disease and provide adequate treatment solutions (Agarwal et al., 2019). SME improves the self-esteem of individuals and helps them in getting confidence and becoming self-dependent. As per the viewpoint of Camargo-Plazas et al., (2021), SME practices are appropriate for older patients. Their studies have shown that adequate SME practice helps patients in improving their lifestyle through proper blood sugar monitoring and healthy diet practice.
Breakdown of Solution
According to the pan-Canadian model study analysis of Willison et al., (2019), the majority of Canadian citizens have been suffering from either type I or type II diabetes. Their studies have proved that the increased rate of diabetes has impaired an individual’s normal lifestyle and has created an extra financial burden through the treatment costs. As per the viewpoint of Stotz et al., (2021), the rate of diabetes has been observed to be significantly at a high rate among the “first nation” and “aboriginal” people of Canada. Their study has shown that between the periods of 1994 to 2015, the rate of diabetes among these people has been observed to a high rate and this has enhanced the morbidity rate. It has been observed that the high rate of diabetes has enhanced the rate of associated diseases such as “cerebrovascular diseases”, “diseases related to abnormal renal function”, “hypertension”, “cardiovascular diseases” etcetera (Ratzki-Leewing et al., 2018). This has also enhanced the morbidity rate among the Canadian population.
Effective diabetes management at the workplace improves productivity and enhances employee wellbeing. In the professional field, effective support and employee motivation help a person in dealing with this disability (LeBlanc et al., 2019). Diabetes is a chronic condition that requires proper awareness. In workplaces, employers implement effective diabetes management programs to enhance the well-being of employees who are suffering from type I or type II diabetes. The ‘National Diabetes Prevention Program” is an effective diabetes management program that helps employees in effective diabetes management by providing adequate financial and mental support. According to the “Center for Disease Control and Prevention”, “diabetes self-management education and training (DSME/T)” is another diabetes management program that employers implement in workplaces to determine the diabetes rate in the workplace (cdc.gov, 2022).
These programs are effective; however, they do not address the psychological issues that an employee might face due to his or her problem. In workplaces employees with diabetes often face issues such as “hypertension”, “depression”, “anxiety” etcetera. These issues should be addressed properly to enhance employee well-being in the workplace (Brown et al., 2018). Proper disease diagnosis, effective support provide and maintaining employee wellbeing are required in the workplace for employees suffering from diabetes.
Disability studies are essential as it provides effective values and an understanding of the “physical” and “psychological impairments” that a person might have. Disability studies help in a detailed understanding of a person’s disease and how it can influence the person’s wellbeing (LeBlanc et al., 2019). Diabetes is an effective disability that requires effective and proper recognition. Proper recognition of the disease motivates individuals with diabetes in proper disease management. This also improves their psychological and physical well-being.
According to Evert et al., (2019) effective “Diabetes Nutrition therapy” or “Medical nutrition therapy” is essential for proper recognition of the disease. These therapies are performed by nutritionists and influence individuals in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. These therapies are performed in association with DSME/T therapy to promote self-management of diabetes. As per the viewpoint of Zeinalian et al., (2022), “personalized nutrition” is effective in managing diabetes among individuals. This method helps in understanding the key requirements of different diabetic patients and helps them by providing specific nutritional diets according to their “body mass index” and other psychological requirements.
Analysis
Improper nutrition is one of the primary reasons for diabetes. This hampers the normal lifestyle of individuals and also enhances the risk of different other associated diseases. According to Wang & Hu, (2018), “precision nutrition” is another effective nutritional approach that helps in effective diabetes management. In this type of diabetes management, the nutritionist prepares the diet plan for patients according to patient genetics, metabolism and other external factors. This is a standardized nutritional method that helps in the effective analysis of a patient’s problems and also helps in providing accurate solutions for proper diabetes management. Dietary interventions are another effective method for diabetes management that helps in understanding “the activity of gut flora”, “effective glycemic control” and understanding the food metabolism.
The course learning helps to understand the concept of “able-mindedness” a term that is often used to describe issues of disability. It has been understood from the learning that disability is strongly related to the concepts of “able mindedness” and “able-bodiedness”. It has been observed that the concept of “crip politics” is closely associated with “disability studies or DS”. The “theory of misfit” of Rosemarie Garland Thompson can be specially acknowledged as this has helped in understanding the issue of disability and its impact on an individual’s mind and body (Price, 2015).
Another course learning has helped in understanding the major social inequality and issues faced by disabled people (TEDxMidAtlantic, 2017). This learning has demonstrated the experience of “Judith Heumann” who is an internationally recognized social and community worker. She has been fighting for the equal rights of disabled people. Her story describes that disability places a huge negative influence on an individual’s mind and body (Upstream, 2018).
The third-course learning discusses the disability issues of Sarah Jama who has been working as the “community organizer” and has been working in the position of co-founder in the “Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO)”. Her journey inspires individuals and motivates them in achieving success in life despite their poor physical attributes.
The course learnings have helped in understanding the negative impact that disability places on an individual’s life and discuss the effect of motivation, influence and willingness in overcoming that impact. The learning elements of Sarah Jama and Judith Heumann help in understanding the real-life disability issues faced by individuals. Diabetes is a disability problem and these courses learning have helped in understanding the real-life issues faced by diabetic patients in the work field and in doing daily activities.
Diabetes management is necessary to improve the lives of individuals. Although this chronic disease can be managed effectively with adequate medication, treatment and lifestyle changes there are specific criteria that should be maintained (Miyamoto et al., 2019). Effective nutrition-based therapies such as “personalized nutrition”, “precision nutrition” etcetera are effective in providing an adequate diet for the patients. However, this does not ensure effective diet maintenance for patients. The proposed solution is to provide appropriate counselling and medical help to individuals who are suffering from diabetes. Nutritionists can make people aware by describing the excess cost burden and negative health impact of diabetes. This would effectively help in spreading positive awareness against diabetes. This would also help me in my future career as a nutritionist as I would be able to help people understand the positive effects of healthy diet maintenance in reducing blood sugar levels. A proper understanding of the negative impact of diabetes among normal people is essential to reducing the diabetes rate. Moreover, the guidance of proper lifestyle changing habits can also be provided to motivate people in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Proper awareness of this disability is the key to reducing disease efficacy. This also helps in ensuring proper diet maintenance for individuals.
The solution can be effectively implemented with the help of awareness programs through different social media campaigns. Different campaigns would help in spreading awareness programs. Free diabetes checkups and counselling would help in attracting patients. Counselling sessions can be arranged to make people understand the negative influence of diabetes. Nutritionists can provide effective diet charts to patients according to their requirements and can provide effective counselling sessions to educate people on the need for a specific diet for diabetes. Advertisements, social media campaigns, and educational street dramas can be arranged to make people understand the negative influence of high blood sugar in the blood and its associated health consequences (Y?lmaz et al., 2021).
Training courses are another important way to spread awareness of diabetes management in workplaces. Employers can provide effective training to employees in organizations to demonstrate the influence of diabetes and its impact on the work performance of an employee. This would help in motivating the employees with diabetes and also would help in maintaining appropriate employee wellbeing in the workplace. Diabetes awareness campaigns and counsellings sessions can be implemented in different organizations. Nutritionists, human activists and counsellors can effectively understand employees’ issues through the counselling session and this would help employers in understanding the psychological issues among employees that are responsible for disrupting the employee’s wellbeing. Diabetes is considered a disability as it allows people to get a “Disability Tax Credit or DTC” in Canada. Therefore, effective awareness spread against this disease through campaigns would help individuals in understanding the negative influence of the disease in regular life.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussions, it can be stated that disability management is essential to reduce its efficacy. Proper diabetes management and lifestyle improvements help individuals in gaining confidence. The conflict between ableism and disabled individuals can be resolved through effective awareness programs. This helps in understanding the issues and discrimination faced by diabetic patients in their daily lifestyles. Human activists, Nutritionists and counsellors can change the mindset of able-bodied individuals about disabled people through proper awareness programs.
Reference
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