english essay

« Task 1 It is a widespread fact that disabled people are the only minority that you could become part of at any time.

Disability can be defined as physical, sensory, or mental condition that limits an individual’s senses, movements, or activities.

This proves that this is a reality that can affect not only a small community, but also a much wider group regardless of age or gender.

Due to the shared experiences of hardship and discrimination, disabled individuals often form a distinct community.

Despite efforts at inclusion, a significant barrier remains, preventing disabled people from being fully integrated into society. One brick of that wall is physical.

To this day and age, disabled people still do not have equal access to public and private spaces.

Maintenance for wheelchair ramps and elevators is scarce and are not considered as a priority.

People with visual impairments might find it difficult to navigate through society without Braille signage. In addition to that, deaf individuals feel out of place or pushed to the margins when attending events lacking sign-language interpreters.

These small physical examples make it clear that society is tailored to accommodate “abled” people only.

When access to information, means of transportation and other basic amenities become difficult to reach and attain, the wall between disabled people and society only grows bigger and steadier. Economic discrimination is another significant barrier, making it even harder to break down the walls of exclusion.

Disabled people often find it difficult to land a decent job.

Even if they end up finding a job, accommodations, such as flexible working hours, adaptive technologies, or transportation, may be hard to access. Disabled people encounter unequal pay or limited opportunities for advancement as opposed to “abled” people.

This inequality widens and deepens the gap between disabled individuals and non-disabled individuals and reinforces the wall of fully participating in community life. Adding to this wall is the sociocultural aspect.

Lack of awareness amongst different generations increases the gap between “abled” and disabled people.

The latter are often pitied or treated as a burden.

Many textbooks, even today, still portray only non-disabled individuals, reinforcing the idea of exclusion of disabled people. This mindset isolates disabled individuals and affirms the belief that they cannot fully be productive citizens of the society. To break down the wall brick by brick and bridge the gap, society must treat these barriers faced by disabled people as a priority instead of keeping the issues hidden under the rug.

Physical accommodations should be taken into consideration. Ramps and elevators should be fixed and designed to facilitate transportation. Workplace laws should protect the rights of disabled individuals and ensure they are treated fairly as valuable citizens of the society.

Additionally, increasing representation of various disabilities in textbooks and raising awareness through social media can demonstrate how productive disabled individuals are and help reshape public attitudes.

These efforts aren’t merely for disabled people but to reinforce inclusion and help build a strong foundation so the community can flourish and grow because of its united people. Ultimately, we must return to the hard truth: “Disabled people are the only minority that you could become part of at any time.” Instead of expecting disabled people to adapt to an “abled” world, society must build bridges and break down the walls for its individuals of different abilities to live in harmony and unity.

By breaking down these walls, a stronger society will emerge, one based on strength, equality, and unity. Task 2 Ode to Plastic Cups by Naomi Ortiz Weight of both reusable glass plus liquid means my wrist twists down the only direction it bends sends drink to splash on carpets or slippery floor Worse yet non-flexing elbow means arm smacks cup across room with accidental gusto at least once a week Beloved coffee cups shatter into h u n d r e d s of p i e c e s must dredge energy to clean up now hot beverages, my expensive habit At restaurants, I have to ask for a straw slick perspiring drink pointless to even try to lift to lips with fingers, hand, shoulder Instead, I bat and slide glass across tabletop position straw below mouth, sip then push it back, nudge, shift Except, every once in a while, I miscalculate or glass bottom catches on table surface to topple and douse eating companion with cold beverage saturate my clothes and shoes good Unless the cup is plastic Oh, chemically bonded vessel, with your springy forgiveness to bounce passively on floor, patiently listless you wait for me to retrieve you in my own.... »