Mentally challenged is a phrase used to identify people who are intellectually disabled. The Oxford English Dictionary added the definition of challenge as disabled only in the year 1993.  Before that a disabled person would not have been recognized as being challenged. The word originated from North America. Challenged refers to a person who is physically handicapped, but the term mentally challenged is usually directed towards those who are intellectually handicapped. These people tend to be slow in most aspects of life. They have difficulty in adapting to the demands of living a normal life and can be very dependent with low toleration. That fact that challenged and mentally challenged actually means different things focuses on how words that even though primarily mean the same thing can be divided to give more specific meanings. There are also numerous other definitions of the word challenged that do not comply with being disabled. It can mean to find fault with, to impeach and numerous other definitions. These different meanings do not in any way relate to my definition of challenged as being disabled, but most of them do relate to one another. 

http://www.oed.com/

Personal reflection on the term 'Mentally Challenged'

In my opinion from what I have seen a mentally challenged person is someone who is ‘intellectually disabled’. They tend to have difficulties adapting to the demands of a so-called ‘normal life’. I chose to explore the word disability using  ‘mentally challenged’ because I have seen the struggles a mentally challenged person might have to face. As soon as this word came up I began thinking about my friends sister who has been dealing with this disability since birth. I have witnessed the mood swings, the dependency, the stubbornness and most of the other consequences a mentally challenged person and their family have to deal with. A mentally challenged person may not be the most intellectual, but they find other ways for example creativity to express themselves. From what I have seen I believe that mentally challenged people can live a perfectly normal lifestyle if they are permitted to do so. It will be necessary for them t adapt changes in a normal routine, but there is no need to say that a mentally challenged person will not be able to perform an activity because they are mentally challenged. They might require supervision but they most certainly can go to school, do chores, be happy, build a career for themselves and live a healthy life. Life maybe a little harder for my sisters friend to go through life but that does not mean she will not have a great life, she has friends, family and an entire society supporting her and helping her build a future for herself.

Hi my name is Ria Biyani, I am 18 years old and I have been born and raised in India, Mumbai, also known as the city of lights and dreams. Growing up in India’s most populated city has been an experience like no other. Mumbai is to many a ‘city of dreams’, providing them with opportunities that they may never get otherwise. I feel lucky to have been a part of such a world, filled with diversity and culture. In Mumbai I have seen people of all kind from rich to poor, young to old. I saw people experiencing tragedy but also happiness, there was poverty but also richness, there is a whole spectrum of things in that city most of which I haven’t even seen.  Living in such a big city it gets hard to focus on the little things to concentrate on the lives of individuals, but somehow I always managed to notice the little things but understand a wider perspective. I gradually built an interest in learning about people, understanding different cultures and relating them to one another. I am lucky to have the opportunity to travel the world and it has allowed me to further my knowledge of different kinds of people in different places around the globe. This interest in people led me to lean towards majoring in psychology. I know that ultimately I want to own and run a business that generates profit but at the same time being a people person I know I want to care for the society. My aim is to do something for the benefit of others; I want to be able to provide service to the public especially those who are less fortunate. I took the English class ‘This disabled American life’ because it allows me to look deeper and build a connection with those who may not me physically or mentally as strong as they could be. I believe this course will open my eyes to an entirely new world, allowing me to view things from an even wider perspective and giving me the opportunity to understand all kinds of people. I do believe we as a human race can thrive and do better if we integrate all our minds and create something bigger.