Questions and Answers on The Gift of Hospitality Article - Paper Example

What are the main points that the author is trying to make in the article you have selected?

The main point addressed under this article by the author is that act of isolation that is often experienced by people who have a disability in the community. She illustrates this point by taking us into a ride of so many stories that depict how they were broken away from services that are specialized. These stories are real storytellers on ways one can offer hospitality to disabled people in that way discover their capacities rather than focusing on their deficits. She equally tries to bring to the limelight the difficulties and dangers that may arise while trying to help the disabled persons to be enjoined as part of community members. Another point the author tries to bring out through the article is trying to let the world know all the social service systems that attempt to produce isolations to disabled persons. Equally, the author attempts to make the world see the impact of cutting the disabled people from the rest of the community.

How are people with developmental disabilities presented and portrayed in the article?

The persons with developmental disabilities under this article are presented and portrayed as people of lowest rank, outcast and not noble to the community. This is evident from one example that the author tells the readers where one child who was standard was given a life most individuals would expect while the one who was disabled was pushed out of the community's system of operation that ought to have given him the unique needs that this son required. Most people the disabled kid interacted with rarely could treat him casually and offer him fewer things that made him be a grown-up boy. In most cases, the community always provided him few or fewer opportunities and chances that will be of aid in his development and have close intimate ties with most crucial part of his life as compared to his peers.

What are the benefits that people with disabilities derive from being part of the community as described by the selected author?

The lives of disabled people in the community are impacted in a positive way when they are accepted as part of the societies' being. These benefits include; the disabled persons and their families have the freedom to have control of everything that comes on their way. The disabled people the gain basic belief in their ability to do anything like any other normal person. The relationship with other human beings is strengthened when they become part of the community. Finally, these disabled individuals can benefit from building their fundamental blocks of life.

Determine the necessary elements/features that need to be present in a community to welcome people with developmental disabilities/marginalized members of the community?

The first element that should be present in a community to welcome people with developmental disabilities members in the society includes; showing the power of friendship to all the disabled individuals in the society. Secondly, the community has to have the element of forming what is known as circles of friends who are responsible to pooling all imagination and efforts to help the disabled persons in the society. Through their pool and efforts, they display one of its kind of love to this marginalized human being in the society. Thirdly, the community should give the disabled that chance to be accepted wholeheartedly as whole persons. Acceptance is a character of being hospitable to these disabled people. Rendering a pure inclination to opening up to them as a community is the fourth element. Fifth, giving them an ear to listen to their cries or supplications. Sixth is to trust them fully. Having trust that in everything they do or engage in is acceptable and regarded highly. Finally, the community should see the disabled people beyond the labeling that is mostly attributed to them and in return try to accept and understand them as persons who have equal opportunities like any other human being.

Do the authors provide a recipe for creating welcoming communities for marginalized persons? What is your overall thought about the article you selected? Does the article provide you with valuable lessons/tools to be a better DSW?

Indeed the author gives a recipe for creating a welcoming environment for communities to marginalized persons. Amongst these recipes include; letting the disabled know the right places that they ought to know and hang out when they feel isolated or want to socialize and interact with other rational human beings. Such sites include; churches, public places, small business, associations, and clubs. The second recipe is offering hospitality to marginalized people in the society. The generosity can be in the form of telling their stories, finding a ticket for them that will help them move out of isolation and asking the people to accept the disabled people as ordinary human beings. My take on this article is that it has touched the most ignored people in the society. The facts and the stories that the author touches on are relevant and applicable to our real life. We should embrace a helping hand to the disabled people in the community. Above all, we should try as much as possible to make the marginalized individuals feel like part of the normal people in the community. Thus, this article provides to me the best valuable life tools that if I embrace them, I will be a better DSW.

Reference

O'Connell, M. (1988). The Gift of Hospitality. Opening the Doors of Community Life to People with Disabilities, Chicago.