Running Head: NO PITY CHAPTER ONE REVIEW 1 NO PITY CHAPTER ONE REVIEW 2 No Pity Chapter One Review Student’s Name Institution Affiliation’s Date Introduction Joseph Shapiro in this book champions for the right of the disabled and the difficulties they go through as they fight for their civil rights which incorporates the American Disability Act (ADA) (Shapiro, 2011). Similarly, the author considers people with disability as a minority group struggling to get a new civil right movement just like similar minority groups such as women and Africa Americans who were awarded for their long fight to freedom and equality. Therefore, Shapiro digs deeper into the problems affecting the disabled and how these people are trying to air these issues with at times zero results on their significant efforts. Hence, this paper will explore and provide an analysis of the first chapter of the book and look into critical issues that affected these people. Chapter 1- Tiny Tims, Supercrips, and the End of Pity The first chapter explores the struggles of the people with disability. The author points out that these people are oppressed and they are aware that they are undermined by people. Furthermore, the chapter starts off by criticizing the use of telethons and the handicapped to source for funds as a way of playing pity (Shapiro, 2011). These make these people feel different and far away from the normal society which is a source of their problem. By collecting money to support these individuals, the community tries to make them feel like they are outcasts and they need total help and they are incapable of providing for themselves. This limits their potential and makes these people feel bad about their condition. Therefore, an attempt by society to tell these people that they are special actually worsens their situation. Besides, the fundraising strategy is a backward way of thinking where these organizations want to raise money by making people feel guilty or worry about their condition. It is a manipulative way of doing things and Shapiro considers this as wrong and these disabled people should be subjected to such kind of torture. The chapter also classifies the bad people in comics, films, and television as "differences". These people are aware of the bad people and the use of "difference" shows that they have some unique bad trait that makes them inflict pain and cause havoc to society. The word "differences" reflects the bad character of these people. This means that the people with disability could identify these individuals and the society who have contributed to them being undermined and considered less fortunate in the community. Shapiro (2011) confirms that these people want to eliminate these people since they are seen as a burden to society and don't add much value. This was devastating to these people and they felt unwanted in the community. Shapiro explores that these individuals people are demanding their rights and not m.

1. Running Head: NO PITY CHAPTER ONE REVIEW 1
NO PITY CHAPTER ONE REVIEW 2
No Pity Chapter One Review
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation’s
Date
Introduction
Joseph Shapiro in this book champions for the right of the
disabled and the difficulties they go through as they fight for
their civil rights which incorporates the American Disability
Act (ADA) (Shapiro, 2011). Similarly, the author considers
people with disability as a minority group struggling to get a
new civil right movement just like similar minority groups such
as women and Africa Americans who were awarded for their
long fight to freedom and equality. Therefore, Shapiro digs
deeper into the problems affecting the disabled and how these
people are trying to air these issues with at times zero results on
their significant efforts. Hence, this paper will explore and
provide an analysis of the first chapter of the book and look into

2. critical issues that affected these people.
Chapter 1- Tiny Tims, Supercrips, and the End of Pity
The first chapter explores the struggles of the people with
disability. The author points out that these people are oppressed
and they are aware that they are undermined by people.
Furthermore, the chapter starts off by criticizing the use of
telethons and the handicapped to source for funds as a way of
playing pity (Shapiro, 2011). These make these people feel
different and far away from the normal society which is a
source of their problem. By collecting money to support these
individuals, the community tries to make them feel like they are
outcasts and they need total help and they are incapable of
providing for themselves. This limits their potential and makes
these people feel bad about their condition. Therefore, an
attempt by society to tell these people that they are special
actually worsens their situation. Besides, the fundraising
strategy is a backward way of thinking where these
organizations want to raise money by making people feel guilty
or worry about their condition. It is a manipulative way of
doing things and Shapiro considers this as wrong and these
disabled people should be subjected to such kind of torture.
The chapter also classifies the bad people in comics, films, and
television as "differences". These people are aware of the bad
people and the use of "difference" shows that they have some
unique bad trait that makes them inflict pain and cause havoc to
society. The word "differences" reflects the bad character of
these people. This means that the people with disability could
identify these individuals and the society who have contributed
to them being undermined and considered less fortunate in the
community. Shapiro (2011) confirms that these people want to
eliminate these people since they are seen as a burden to society
and don't add much value. This was devastating to these people
and they felt unwanted in the community. Shapiro explores that
these individuals people are demanding their rights and not
medical cures people need to understand that disability is not
disabling as it may seem.

3. The other issue that Shapiro looks into in this chapter is the
limited opportunities offered to the people with disability. Even
more, it is not the individuals with a disability who need to
change rather the society's view and perception of these people.
It is a common assumption that that lady or gent within a
wheelchair cannot get a job done and is need of charity or
assistance. This underestimation of these people is very
dehumanizing and we need to consider these people as part and
parcel of our community. In effect, these people end up locking
themselves waiting for that one person who will see them for
who they are not their disability (Shapiro, 2011). The society
has locked job opportunities for this individuals and it is not
because they don’t have the ability to perform it is simply
because the community is making their lives difficult by failing
to offer the necessary support system such as job opportunities
and barrier-free buildings. According to Shapiro (2011), these
issues have made these people stand up for their rights and
affirm their existence. They are rejecting the stigma and
embracing their disability without fear, shame or guilt and
taking pride in their condition.
Discrimination has been a common problem that these people
encounter in their everyday life. For instance, Shapiro (2011)
points out that the New Jersey zoo owner who failed to admit
children with disability claiming that they would scare away his
chimpanzees. This is a practical case on how we view these
people as fewer humans to the point that monkeys are better.
Shapiro agrees that this level of discrimination is wrong and
people with disabilities should not be treated in such a way that
suggests they are not valued at all.
Discrimination is considered as a subtle matter since it is based
on the opinion that disabled people cannot make their own
decisions hence they are not entitled to lead the lives they
chose. This extends to judicial matters where these people's
opinion is rejected or viewed as weak. However, we are not
doing justice and these people need to be treated with some
sense of respect and recognition in society (Shapiro, 2011).

4. More so, this discrimination is also observed in the job market
where firms are based on employing the disabled since they
undermine their ability to work effectively and deliver quality
results. The head of firms says that it doesn't make sense to
maintain people in a dependency state and often these
employees are hidden from potential customers and partners.
Conclusion
This chapter explores the challenges that people with disability
go through as highlighted by Joseph Shapiro. He starts off by
explaining the ineffectiveness of the telethons as a way to
collect charity money for these people. Furthermore, he
explains about the bad guys who want to harm people with
disability (Shapiro, 2011). The paper has highlighted more
issues affecting the disabled such as discrimination in
employment, and offering of opportunities. The society has
undermined their ability and they need to change this
perspective so that people with disability can live a normal life.
Above all, Shapiro explains these issues and how they affect the
disabled and the society needs to work towards fighting these
problems and champion for equal treatment.
Reference
Shapiro, J. P. (2011). No pity: People with disabilities forging a
new civil rights movement. Broadway Books.