Human rights issues apparently aren’t just strictly defined to brutal regimes and poorly developing nations. In Manitoba, Canada, there have been people with intellectual and stimuli disabilities being holed away in institutions like prisoners rather than being allowed to be in the open and free society, like “normal” people. People with mental disabilities have long been feared as if it were some sort of contagious leprosy rather than something to be dealt with delicately, and Manitoba has proved to be no different.
However, with human rights groups and activists filing a complaint on behalf of those who were institutionalized rather than familiarized with outer society in 2006, the pressure has been growing more and more on these sorts of institutions. This particular article claims that the decision is part of a mediated settlement between the province and “Community Living Manitoba”, which is a group that has fought to have the institution closed and filed a complaint with the province's human rights commission.
“We didn't close it, but we have started getting people out, and eventually, what the building is used for will change,” said Rose Flaig, the group's executive director. “We're about community living and there is enough social science evidence that says people thrive and contribute and live better lives in the community, so we think that's where people belong.” As aforementioned, the group filed the human rights complaint in 2006, and said institutionalizing people with mental disabilities was “an affront to human dignity” and discriminatory. Some of the residents who have been in these homes have lived there for 30 or more years. While adjusting to “life on the outside” may be difficult, it may prove to be precisely what these people, and society, need. Society has always seemed to feel slightly uneasy around those who are not “normal”, and most claim they do not know how to act. Closing down these institutions would force more interaction and narrow the gap between the supposed “differences” these Canadians have.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/manitoba-settles-human-rights-case-on-intellectual-disabilities/article2249798/
9 comments:
Being put away in these mental "prisons," is what can really damage a person. Especially if the facility is being ran like more of a prison than a facility to help these people.
Its horrible that people will do this to those they don't understand.
I agree with Carmen, being put into mental "prisions" especially for around 30 years as stated can definitely damage someone. They may not know what to do or how to interact once the building is shut down. It may be hard for them but I agree closing these insitutions can help bridge the gap but I do believe they need somewhere to go for help but they need different circumstances
It is a shame that people are locked away like they are inhuman just because they have an illness. They should not be imprisoned for something they cannot change. I am glad that the organizations is beginning to have people released from these homes so that they can live a normal life in the outside world which is truly what they need.
I don't understand why people do this. It is not right and it is not bettering the people.
I hate that when we don't understand something, we distance ourselves as far from it as we can instead of trying to understand and learn about it. Maybe we could help these people better their lives if we took time to educate ourselves about their differences. I think everyone would be better off in the long run if we did.
These mental prisons are harsh environments to put someone who has an illnes. The fact that this is even being allowed shows that the people doing this and those who know about it, simply have no compassion for others.
It is sad to see people being treated like that locked away in a mental institution instead of being treated like human beings and making them a part of the community while they receive treatment. It gives them the opportunity to participate in daily life instead of being grouped together because of their mental condition which somehow makes them so much different from everyone else.
Being locked away and being treated as if you're a criminal will not help someone who is mentally or psychologically challenged. If anything, this will cause them to feel worse about themselves instead of assisting them to advance to a healthier state of being.
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