As I've said before, I'm strongly in favor of inclusion for people with physical and mental disabilities. But I also think living on government benefits should always be an option for them. If they qualify and if it suits their situation. I know some people in my country don't really understand intellectual handicaps. They actually are a lot more functional than some people realize. But they often have different abilities, like any of us. And different problems and issues, depending on what their diagnosis is. I know some people in my country say it is not fair to expect them to be waited on by a mentally deficient cashier because they seem to take all day with one customer. Actually most of the people you see like that probably have a mild mental impairment. 85-90% of people with intellectual disabilities are mild. And as I said, they actually are very functional. They can be electricians and plumbers. And there really is no reason why they can't be parents, if they choose and unless it's proven they clearly shouldn't. I suspect when those people are cashiers, the problems they have are not always intellectual. I'm not a physician. Actually, they might just be nervous in that situation or self-conscious. But I have seen mentally deficient people who are grocery baggers. And they seem to be good at that job. They also seem on average to make good waiters and waitresses too, I've noticed. Certain jobs that require a lot of knowledge and skill are different, in who can qualify. I really don't think a mentally deficient person should ever be a medical doctor or registered nurse. But as I brought up a couple of years ago, they might be good at something like a phlebotomist. In other words, a job that suits their skills.
Dr Julia Schofield who was blind, ran a company in the UK, employing around 20 blind workers manufacturing state of the art circuit boards that she had designed for the military. She always joked that the only pair of eyes in the company were owned by her guide dog. In the evening, her husband came in to refill and check that all the components were of the correct value. She made headline news, when she refused to meet the queen for her MBE presentation, because they would not allow her guide dog into Buckingham Palace. Dr Julia Schofield MBE
