Rights of the disabled are not an option
Individuals should be seen as equals and not be judged by their financial contribution to society
It is erroneous to divide people based on whether they have made economic contributions. It is equally wrong to conceive persons with disabilities as non-productive, and even more wrong to see them as a group asking only for favours or welfare.
If a society is to treasure freedom and openness, all its members should be respected as equals. Participation and resource distribution should be based on equality and justice, not status and favouritism.
It is true that the law sometimes defines a person's "worth" in terms of productivity or capacity. For example, in employment compensation, the person's working or earning capacity may be assessed for the purpose of compensation.
The laws may not be intended as such, but these assessments can cause social exclusion. Such social exclusion may even be justified by political and legal theory.
The social contract theory of the late US political philosopher John Rawls assumes a homogeneous citizenry. This paradigm may lead one to ask: why should productive people contract unproductive people? One may even argue that compromised productivity cannot offset the needs and assistance disabled people may require.
Such arguments are not uncommon, even in today's world. Rawls' theory is criticised as rejecting disability.