Discrimination Against People With Multiple Sclerosis

5 Pages 1240 Words

Do Americans Discriminate Against
People with Multiple Sclerosis?
Kevin is a quiet man who has known he has multiple sclerosis (MS) for six years. He hasn't told anyone. [Kevin explains] “I went to a doctor because I had a serious fall. He decided to run some tests and a week later he told me that I have MS. No one can tell when they look at me. I've learned how to cover losing my balance. I'm only thirty-two. I'm not going to tell anyone because they might think I can't do my job. I'm sure not going to tell any woman I want to date. What's she going to think—I'm a cripple?” (qtd. in “Disclosure”) This story is a prime example of what people who have MS live with every day of their lives. Kevin’s initial reaction was not concern for his health or well-being, but the kind of discrimination he would now have to face because of this devastating disease. People with MS are discriminated against in several aspects of life.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) Web page, MS is a disease that affects the brain and the spinal cord. When a person has MS the tissue called myelin which protects the nerves are damaged. The damage to the myelin is called “sclerosis,” commonly known as scar tissue, and “multiple” means many. These scars impair the activity of the nerves, by making it difficult for commands to reach and leave the brain. This causes the different symptoms of MS (“What is MS”). According to the NMSS approximately one third of a million Americans acknowledge having MS (“About MS”).
MS is a disabling disease. It is common practice that people who suffer from the disease end up in a wheel chair. One way people who suffer from MS are discriminated against is in public accommodations. In the article, “A Ruling on Co-op and Disability,” Jay Romano tells a story about a woman who as a result of having MS had to be in a wheel chair. Romano explains that the buil...