Ten Steps to Being an Effective Self-Advocate
Sometimes you may feel as if you have lost control over your life, your rights and your responsibilities. Regaining your sense of control by successfully advocating for yourself will give you back the hope and self-esteem you need to work toward recovery.
Following is an excerpt from WRAP Plus (Copeland, M., Dummerston, Vermont)
believe in yourself
1. Believe in Yourself
You are a unique and valuable person. You are worth the effort it takes to advocate for yourself and protect your rights. You can do it! You may need to work on raising your self-esteem to really believe in yourself and become your own best advocate.
2. Know Your Rights
You are entitled to equality under the law. Some of us who have had mental health challenges erroneously believe that we do not have the same rights as others. I did for a while. I allowed people I did not know well and did not trust to make decisions for me and take control of my life. I now have systems in place so if I am not able to make good decisions for myself, others of my choice will make them for me.
WRAP Plus
3. Decide What You Want
Clarify for yourself exactly what you need. This will help you set your own goals and help you be clear to others about what it is that you want and need for yourself.
4. Get the Facts
When you advocate for yourself, you need to know what you are talking about or asking for. The internet is an excellent source of information. However, you will need to check its accuracy by looking at several different references to see if they agree. Check with people who have expertise in what you are considering. Ask others who have issues similar to yours. Check references in the library. Contact mental health agencies and organizations for information and support.
5. Planning Strategy
Using the information you have gathered, plan a strategy that you feel will work to get what you need and want for yourself. Think of several ways to address the problem. Ask supporters for suggestions. Get feedback on your ideas. Then choose to take action using the one that you feel has the most chance of being successful.
6. Gather Support
In advocating for what you need and want for yourself, it is helpful to have support from family members, friends and other people who have similar issues.
7. Target Efforts
Who is the person, persons, or organization you need to deal with to get action on this matter? Talk directly with the person who can best assist you. It may take a few phone calls to discover which organization or person can help, or who is in charge, but it is worth the effort. Keep trying until you find the right person. Maybe the right person is your spouse or another family member. Perhaps it is the head of the local housing agency, your doctor, a case manager, a vocational rehabilitation counselor, or a state legislator.
8. Express Yourself Clearly
When you are asking for what you need and want for yourself, be brief. Stick to the point. Don’t allow yourself to be diverted or to ramble on with unimportant details. State your concern and how you want things changed. If the other person tries to tell you reasons why you cannot achieve what it is you want for yourself, repeat again what it is you want and expect until they either give it to you, help you get it, or refer you to someone else who may be able to give you what you need. If you feel this may be difficult for you, you may want to role-play different scenarios with a supporter or a counselor.
9. Assert Yourself Clearly
Don’t lose your temper and lash out at the other person, their character or the organization. Speak out, asking for what you need and want and then listen. Respect the rights of others, but don’t let them “put you down” or “walk all over you.”
10. Be Firm and Persistent
Don’t give up! Keep after what you want. Always follow through on what you say. Dedicate yourself to getting whatever it is you need for yourself.
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Some of the different types of advocacy out there
Self-advocacy
I have seen in my many years working in self-advocacy that when people with learning difficulties move into self-advocacy they can move away from the family because they start to have more of a voice.
Co-production workshop participant
Self-advocacy refers to an individual’s ability to effectively communicate his or her own interests, desires, needs and rights. It recognises that people are experts by experience and involves them in speaking out for themselves about the things that are important to them. It means that people are able to ask for what they want and need and to tell others about their thoughts and feelings.
The goal of self-advocacy is for people to decide what they want and to carry out plans to help them get it. Self-advocacy differs from other forms of advocacy in that the individual self-assesses a situation or problem and then speaks for his or her own needs. The ultimate aim of all forms of advocacy should be to support people to self-advocate as far as they are able to.
Group advocacy
Group advocacy involves people with shared experiences, positions or values coming together in groups to talk and listen to each other and speak up collectively about issues that are important to them. These groups aim to influence public opinion, policy and service provision. They vary considerably in size, influence and motive. Representatives of local groups are often included on planning committees and involved in the commissioning and monitoring of health and social care services.
Peer advocacy
Peer advocacy refers to one-to-one support provided by advocates with a similar disability or experience to a person using services. Trained and supported volunteers often provide peer advocacy as part of a coordinated project. Peer advocacy schemes argue that they are particularly well placed to empathise with the needs of people, to approach them as their equals and to feel strongly about, and fight hard for, their needs.
Citizen advocacy
Citizen advocacy aims to involve people in their local community by enabling them to have a voice and to make decisions about the things that affect their lives. Citizen advocacy partnerships are long term, not time-limited, and last for as long as the citizen advocate and the individual want them to. Citizen advocates are ordinary members of the local community. They are unpaid and usually operate with support from a coordinated scheme.
Professional advocacy
Paid independent advocates support and enable people to speak up and represent their views, usually during times of major change or crisis. Such advocacy is issue-based and the advocate may only need to work with the person for a short time.
Non-instructed advocacy
There are four recognised approaches to non-instructed advocacy and providers should endeavour to integrate them all when providing support:
rights-based approach – we all have certain fundamental human rights that can be defined and measured
person-centred approach – based on the development of long-term, trusting and mutually respectful relationships between advocates and people
watching brief approach – placing the person at the centre of thinking about the best way to support them
witness/observer approach – in which the advocate observes or witnesses the way in which a person leads his or her life.
It is important to remember that an individual's capacity to be involved in decision-making or to instruct an advocate may fluctuate. This provides a further argument in favour of a whole-systems approach to advocacy, which maximises the chances of continuity of support.
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National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for anyone
DISABILITY HISTORY TIMELINE:
Resource and Discussion Guide
This disability history timeline is
designed to help you learn about the
rich history of people with disabilities.
If you have a disability, this is about
your history, but it may not be the
history you know. Increasing your
knowledge of disability history will
help you inspire and lead others
by telling the diverse stories of the
many who have gone before. Starting
shortly after the United States was
founded, the disabilities timeline
features examples of the remarkable
diversity, creativity, and leadership
that has shaped the disability
community up through today.
National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth
N C L D Youth
Yoshiko Dart
Note: Although designed for youth and
emerging leaders with disabilities, the
Disability History Timeline and related
activities can be used to educate a broader
audience. For example, the materials may
be useful for training service providers on
the importance of educating youth with
disabilities about their history or as an
orientation for program staff before working
with youth with disabilities.
3
Founding Father Serves Despite Disability
Stephen Hopkins, a man with cerebral palsy,
is one of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence. Hopkins is known for saying
“my hands may tremble, my heart does not.”
Improved Amputation Techniques
Edward Alanson, an English surgeon, suggests
a change in the way limbs are amputated,
resulting in faster healing and less infection.
This change has a positive impact on the
quality of life for people who are amputees.
Institution for Blind Children
After seeing a group of blind
men being cruelly exhibited
in a Paris sideshow, Valentin
Huay, known as the “father and
apostle of the blind,” establishes
the Institution for Blind
Children to help make life for
the blind more “tolerable.” Huay
also discovered that sightless
persons could read texts
printed with raised letters.
Mentally Ill Unchained
Phillipe Pinel, a physician at La Bicetre, an
asylum in Paris, removes the chains attached
to people with mental illnesses. Some have
been chained to walls for more than 30 years.
1770
1776
1784
1790
1793
National Library of Medicine
Detail from Pinel Fait Enlever Les Fers
Aux Aliénés De Bicêtre. Painting by Jean-
Baptiste Pussin (1745–1811).
National Library of Medicine
Illustration (c.1700s) depicting
surgical amputation of an arm.
1780
1782
National Library of Medicine
Etching (1622)
by Jacques Callot
(1592–1635).
Wikipedia
4
First Medical Classification
of Mental Disorders
Phillipe Pinel writes Treatise on
Insanity in which he develops a fourpart
medical classification for the
major mental illnesses: melancholy,
dementia, mania without delirium,
and mania with delirium.
Education for Mentally Disabled
Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard establishes the principles
and methods used today in the education of the
mentally disabled through his controversial work
with Victor, the “wild boy of Aveyron.”
Mental Disorders Documented
Dr. Benjamin Rush, considered
the father of American psychiatry,
publishes Medical Inquiries and
Observations, the first modern
attempt to explain mental disorders.
Birth of Louis Braille
Louis Braille is born on January 4, at
Coupvray, near Paris. At three years
of age, an accident caused him to
become blind, and in 1819 he was
sent to the Paris Blind School, which
was originated by Valentin Huay.
1800
1798
1801
1805
1800
1809
National Library of Medicine
National Library of Medicine
Detail from wood engraving
entitled, “A Blind Girl Teaching
her Blind Brother how to Read.”
Wikipedia
Detail from poster for François
Truffaut’s 1970 film l’Enfant
Sauvage (The Wild Child),
which dramatized Victor’s life.
Wikipedia Wikipedia
First Military Disability Law
Detail from painting shows U.S. President
John Adams signing the act for the relief of
sick and disabled seamen, July 16, 1798.
Wikipedia
5
Formal Deaf Education Begins in the U.S.
Thomas H. Gallaudet leaves the United States
for Europe in 1815 to learn how to teach the
deaf. Upon his return, he founds the Connecticut
Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf
and Dumb Persons in Hartford, Connecticut, with
Laurent Clerc. It is the first permanent school for
the deaf in America. The opening of its doors, on
April 15, 1817, marks the beginning of efforts in
America to educate people with disabilities.
McLean Asylum for the Insane
The first patient is admitted to the Charlestown
branch of the Massachusetts General Hospital,
which is later named the McLean Asylum for
the Insane. The hospital will become one of
the best-known mental health facilities in the
country, with services attracting such artists
as Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, James Taylor, and
Susanna Kaysen (author of Girl, Interrupted).
Braille Invents the Raised Point Alphabet
Louis Braille invents the raised point alphabet that
makes him a household name today. His method
doesn’t become well-known in the United States
until more than 30 years after it is first taught at
the St. Louis School for the Blind in 1860.
First “Sheltered Workshop” for the Blind
The first “sheltered workshop” is developed for the
blind at the Perkins Institution in Massachusetts.
1810
1815
1817
1840
1849
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
(1787–1851)
Gallaudet University
1818
National Library of Medicine
McLean Asylum for the Insane,
Somerville, MA. Engraving by H. Billings
from a sketch by Seager (c. 1820s).
1820
1829
Braille alphabet
6
Founding of Precursor to the
American Psychiatric Association
The Association of Medical Superintendents
of American Institutions for the Insane,
the precursor to the American Psychiatric
Association, is founded.
First Facility for the Criminally Insane
The New York State Lunatic Asylum for Insane
Convicts in Auburn is the first such facility
designed specifically to house convicted
criminals
deemed to be insane. Previously, they
were kept in prisons or hospitals.
First Steps in Identifying Cerebral Palsy
In the 1860s, William Little makes the first
step toward identifying cerebral palsy (CP) by
describing children with stiff and/or spastic
muscles in their arms and legs. That particular
condition, known at the time as Little’s disease
(now called spastic diplegia), is one of the
major disorders included in CP. Little also
correctly guesses that the condition is caused
by lack of oxygen during birth.
1861–1865 American Civil War
The American Civil War results in 30,000
amputations in the Union Army alone. This
event brings disability issues to the American
consciousness.
1861
1844
1865
National Library of Medicine
Composite photograph of members of the
Association of Medical Superintendents of
American Institutions for the Insane.
1850
1855
1860
1860
Library of Congress
Detail of photograph from the Civil War.
Library of Congress
7
Birth of “The Elephant Man”
Joseph Carey Merrick, better known in later
years as “The Elephant Man,” is born in Leicester,
England. Merrick’s head and body become
covered in large tumors as a result of a rare
nervous-system disorder, which is now known
as neurofibromatosis and was diagnosed years
after his death. He earns money by appearing
in sideshows throughout England and is
experimented on and tested on by a lot of doctors
and scientists.
Bell Invents Telephone Trying To Help the Deaf
Alexander Graham Bell opens a speech school for
deaf teachers in Boston. He invents the telephone
while trying to develop a mechanical way to make
speech visible. Bell reportedly believed that “deaf
children should be educated orally and in dayschool
situations.”
1870
1872
1862
1880
1881
1887
Library of Congress
Freud, engagement
photo, 1886.
Library of Congress
Photograph of Bell and his
invention, the telephone.
Library of Congress
Helen Keller and Anne
Sullivan. Photograph by
Notman, 1897.
Wikipedia
Photograph of Joseph Carey
Merrick, also known as the
Elephant Man.
Medical Degree For Freud
After researching the central
nervous system, at Vienna
University, Sigmund Freud,
age 24, qualifies as a doctor
of medicine. The following
year, he begins work at
Meynert’s Psychiatric Clinic
and begins to formulate the
ideas that will comprise his
theories of psychoanalysis.
Helen Keller Meets New Tutor
Helen Keller, a deaf-blind seven-year-old
living in Tuscumbia, Alabama, meets her
new tutor, Annie Sullivan.
8
Eugenic Sterilization Law Spreads Like Wildfire
Indiana becomes the first state to enact a eugenic sterilization law—for
”confirmed idiots, imbeciles and rapists”—in state institutions. The law
spreads like wildfire and is enacted in 24 other states.
1900
1918
1907
1919
1910
1917
Wikipedia
Examples of Easter Seals stamps from the
1930s.
The Great War’s Disabled Veterans
After being caught in an explosion
and diagnosed with shell-shock as a
result of combat in the British Army in
World War I, Wilfred Owen, 24, arrives at
Craiglockhart Hospital near Edinburgh,
Scotland. There he meets the poet
and soldier Siegfried Sassoon, who
later introduces him to Robert Graves.
Literary works from these three men,
often touching on the subject of men
disabled in battle, form the literary
historical record for all the countries
involved in “The Great War.”
Funding for Rehabilitation
As a result of the large number of WWI
veterans returning with disabilities,
Congress passes the first major rehabilitation
program for soldiers. In 1920,
a bill funding vocational rehabilitation
guarantees federal money for job counseling
and vocational training for disabled
in the general public.
Easter Seals, Model Charitable Organization
Edgar Allen, a businessman in Elyria, Ohio,
founds the Ohio Society for Crippled Children,
which becomes the national Easter Seals organization.
It serves as a model for many of
today’s charitable organizations—in its methods
and, some activists say, in its exclusion of
people from the community being helped.
Library of Congress
Detail from photo showing recovering
soldiers posing in a park at an American
base hospital in France.
Library of Congress
Detail from photo showing medics
loading wounded into American
ambulances on the French front.
9
1920
1925
1927
Library of Congress
Diego Rivera and Frida
[Kahlo] Rivera. Photographic
portrait by Carl Van Vechten
(1880–1964), March 19, 1932.
U.S. Postal Service
Postage stamp (released
for 2001) based on Kahlo
self portrait.
Frida Kahlo (1907–1954)
Frida Kahlo, 18, is injured
in a bus accident in her
hometown of Mexico City.
Her spinal column, along
with her collarbone, ribs,
and pelvis, is broken. For
a month, she remains in
bed. Bored, she begins to
paint, the first step toward
becoming one of the most
influential artists of the
20th century.
Study of Dyslexia
Samuel Orton begins his extensive study
of dyslexia, hypothesizing that it could be
neurological versus visual, and that it was
likely connected to left-handedness. His first
assumption is right. His second one, not so.
Compulsory Sterilization Ruled Constitutional
The Supreme Court rules in Buck v. Bell that the
compulsory sterilization of mental defectives
such as Carrie S. Buck, a young Virginia woman,
is constitutional under “careful” state safeguards.
Perhaps unbelievably, this ruling has never been
overturned. In his opinion, Justice Oliver Wendell
Holmes writes:
“(It) is better for all the world, if instead
of waiting to execute degenerate
offspring for crime, or to let them
starve for their imbecility, society can
prevent those who are manifestly unfit
from continuing their kind…Three
generations of imbeciles are enough.”
Library of Congress
Oliver Wendell Holmes
10
Franklin D. Roosevelt Elected President
Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the 32nd
president of the United States and is reelected
for an unprecedented four terms
before dying in office in April 1945. In
August 1921, while vacationing at Campobello
Island, New Brunswick, Roosevelt
contracted an illness, believed to be polio,
which resulted in total and permanent
paralysis from the waist down. After
becoming President, he helps found the
National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis
(now known as the March of Dimes). His
leadership
in this organization is one
reason he is commemorated on the dime.
California Council of the Blind
At the age of 23, Jacobus tenBroek, blind
since age 14, joins with Dr. Newel Perry and
others to form the California Council of the
Blind, which later becomes the National
Federation of the Blind of California, a
model for the nationwide organization he
forms six years later.
Signing of the Social Security Act
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signs
the Social Security Act, establishing a
program of permanent assistance to adults
with disabilities.
1934
1935
1930
1932
Iron Lung To Combat Polio
In 1927 Philip Drinker and Louis Shaw
develop the iron lung, a chamber that
provides artificial respiration for polio
patients being treated for respiratory
muscle paralysis. Centers for Disease Control
Iron lung donated to the CDC by the family
of a polio patient who used the device
from the late 1950s until his death in 2003.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library
Franklin D. Roosevelt with Ruthie Bie,
the granddaughter of a friend, and
presidential pet Fala at Hilltop Cottage in
Hyde Park, New York, 1941.
Social Security Administration
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing
Social Security Act, August 14, 1935.
11
Ray Charles Blind by Age Seven
At the age of seven Ray Charles
Robinson (1930–2004) loses
his sight completely due to
glaucoma, which he’s had since
the time of his birth in Albany,
Georgia. He learns to read music
in Braille and eventually drops his
last name while performing on
the Florida blues circuit.
1939
1937
Wikipedia
Ray Charles rehearses for 1990 Grammys.
Photo by Victor Diaz Lamich.
1935 Disability Protest Results in WPA Jobs
To protest the fact that their requests for employment with the Works Progress
Administration (WPA) have been stamped ‘PH’ (physically handicapped), 300
members of the League for the Physically Handicapped stage a nine-day sit in at the
Home Relief Bureau of New York City. Eventually, they help secure several thousand
jobs nationwide. The League of the Physically Handicapped is accepted as the first
organization of people with disabilities by people with disabilities.
Lou Gehrig Day
On July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig Day is held
at Yankee Stadium in New York City. The
first baseman, nicknamed the Iron Horse,
had been diagnosed with amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS), but that day tells
the world, “Today, I consider myself the
luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
His statement resounds long after his
death in 1941.
National Institutes of Health
Lou Gehrig (1903–1941)
Nazi Program Kills Thousands
At the onset of World War II Adolph Hitler
orders widespread “mercy killing” of the
sick and disabled. Code-named Aktion T4,
the Nazi euthanasia program is instituted
to eliminate “life unworthy of life.”
Between 75,000 to 250,000 people with
intellectual or physical disabilities are
systematically killed from 1939 to 1941.
Wikipedia
Schloss Hartheim, Austria, one
of the main T4 killing centers.
12
Rosemary Kennedy Institutionalized after Failed Lobotomy
John F. Kennedy’ s twenty-three year old sister Rosemary
undergoes
a prefrontal lobotomy as a “cure” for lifelong mild
retardation and aggressive behavior that surfaces in late
adolescence. The operation fails, resulting in total incapacity.
To avoid scandal, Rosemary is moved permanently to the St.
Coletta School for Exceptional Children in Wisconsin. Her sister,
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, later founds the Special Olympics in
Rosemary’s honor.
1948
1940
1941
1950
1950
Wikipedia
A human brain that
has undergone
lobotomy, destroying
large sections of
the prefrontal cortex.
National Library of Medicine
Photo of NIH physician
examining girl with
Down’s syndrome.
Beginning of National Barrier-Free Standards
In the 1950s, disabled veterans and people with disabilities
begin the barrier-free movement. The combined efforts of
the Veterans Administration, The President’s Committee on
Employment of the Handicapped, and the National Easter
Seals Society, among others, results in the development of
national standards for “barrier-free” buildings.
National Library of Medicine
The ARC Champions Abilities of Mentally Retarded
Parents of youth diagnosed with mental retardation found
the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC). The association
works to change the public’s ideas about mental retardation.
Its members educate parents and others, demonstrating
that individuals with mental retardation have the
ability to succeed in life. The ARC works to ensure that the
estimated 7.2 million Americans with mental retardation
and related developmental disabilities have the services
and supports they need to grow, develop, and live in communities
across the nation.
Rusk’s Theories Become Basis for Rehabilitation Medicine
Dr. Howard A. Rusk founds the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation
Medicine in New York City, where he develops techniques
to improve the health of injured veterans from World War II.
His theory focused on treating the emotional, psychological
and social aspects of individuals with disabilities and later
became the basis for modern rehabilitation medicine.
13
Radiation Experiment Conducted Without Consent
Clemens Benda, clinical director at the Fernald School in Waltham, Massachusetts,
an institution for boys with mental retardation, invites 100 teenage students to
participate in a “science club” in which they will be privy to special outings and extra
snacks. In a letter requesting parental consent, Benda mentions an experiment
in which “blood samples are taken after a special breakfast meal containing a
certain amount of calcium,” but makes no mention of the inclusion of radioactive
substances that are fed to the boys in their oatmeal.
1953
1957
1960
1961
1962
Photo by
Agência Brasil.
Billy Barty Organizes Little People
Actor Billy Barty makes a national appeal to the little
people of America to converge on Reno, Nevada.
Twenty answer the call, creating the Midgets of America
organization. Later renamed
the Little People of
America, his organization becomes the largest in the
world devoted to people of short stature.
Ed Roberts Fights for Admission to University
Ed Roberts, a young man with polio, enrolls at the University
of California, Berkeley. After his admission is rejected,
he fights to get the decision overturned. He becomes the
father of the Independent Living Movement and helps
establish the first Center for Independent Living (CIL).
Wikipedia
UC Berkeley Library
Don Galloway, manager of
blind services, and Ed Roberts,
executive director, of the fledgling
Center for Independent
Living at Berkeley in 1974.
First Accessibility Standard Published
The American Standards Association, later known as the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI), publishes the first accessibility standard titled, Making
Buildings Accessible to and Usable by the Physically Handicapped. Forty-nine states
adapt accessibility legislation by 1973.
Stevie Wonder Discovered
Ronnie White (of The Miracles)
discovers 11-year-old Steveland
Judkins and arranges an audition
with Motown CEO, Berry Gordy,
who immediately signs the boy
as “Little Stevie Wonder.”
Little People of America
14
Federal Funding Set Aside for Disability Infrastructure Support
The Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction
Act of 1963 passes. The act sets aside money for developing State Developmental
Disabilities Councils, Protection and Advocacy Systems, and University Centers. In
1984 it is renamed the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act.
Civil Rights Bill Bypasses Persons with Disabilities
The Civil Rights Act is passed. While this act helps end discrimination against African
Americans and women in the workplace, it does not make any provision for people
with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities still lack opportunities to participate in
and be contributing members of society, are denied access to employment, and are
discriminated against based on disability.
1963
1965
1968
1964
Wikipedia
Robert Weitbrecht shows off his TTY
device. He is awarded a doctorate from
Gallaudet College in 1974.
Baudot Merged with TTY Communication
In California, deaf orthodontist Dr. James C.
Marsters of Pasadena sends a teletype machine
(TTY) to deaf scientist Robert Weitbrecht,
asking him to find a way to attach the TTY to
the telephone system. Weitbrecht modifies
an acoustic coupler, giving birth to “Baudot,” a
code that is still used in TTY communication.
Medicaid Help for Low-Income and Disabled
Title XIX (19) of the Social Security Act creates a
cooperative federal/state entitlement program,
known as Medicaid, that pays medical costs for
certain individuals with disabilities and families
with low incomes.
First International Special Olympics Games
Eunice Kennedy Shriver founds the Special
Olympics in 1962 to provide athletic training
and competition for persons with intellectual
disabilities. The organization grows into an
international program enabling more than one
million young people and adults to participate
in 23 Olympic-type sports events each year. The
first International Special Olympics Games are
held in Chicago, Illinois in 1968.
Wikipedia
Opening Ceremonies for the 2003 Special
Olympics World Summer Games, Dublin.
15
Educator and Disability Activist
Judy Heumann sues the New York City Board of
Education when her application for a teaching
license is denied. The stated reason is the same
originally used to bar her from kindergarten—that
her wheelchair is a fire hazard. The suit, settled out
of court, launches Heumann’s activism. She later
founds the Independent Living movement with Ed
Roberts and oversees education and VR programs
in the United States during the 1990s.
Governor Wallace of Alabama Paralyzed
Governor George C. Wallace of Alabama is
paralyzed after being shot during a presidential
campaign rally in Laurel, Maryland.
Public Entities Can’t Discriminate
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 makes
it illegal for federal agencies, public universities,
and other public institutions receiving any federal
funds to discriminate on the basis of disability.
Inaugural Convention of People First
The first convention for People First is held
in Portland, Oregon. People First is a national
organization of people with developmental
disabilities learning to speak for themselves and
supporting each other in doing so.
1968
1970
1973
1972
1974
1970
Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards
The Access Board develops and
maintains Uniform Federal
Accessibility Standards (UFAS),
which serve as the basis for
enforcing the law.
Act Requires Accessible Buildings
The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 mandates
the removal of what is perceived to be the most
significant obstacle to employment for people with
disabilities—the physical design of the buildings
and facilities on the job. The act requires that all
buildings designed, constructed, altered, or leased
with federal funds to be made accessible.
Wikipedia
Governor Wallace (1919–1998).
Detail from photo by NASA,
June 9, 1965.
Library of Congress
16
Last of “Ugly Laws” Repealed
The last “Ugly Law” is repealed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1974. These laws allowed police
to arrest and jail people with “apparent” disabilities for no reason other than being
disfigured or demonstrating some type of disability.
Law Guarantees Free, Appropriate, Public Education for All Disabled Children
The Education for Handicapped Children Act of 1975—now called the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)—is signed into law. It guarantees a free, appropriate,
public education for all children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment.
Staten Island’s Willowbrook State School Finally Shuttered
After a five year battle with parents and advocates, New York Governor Hugh Carey
signs the Willowbrook consent order, closing down a state institution notorious for
its horrible conditions—broken plumbing, not enough doctors or medical supplies,
patients living in filthy residences with no clean clothing, to name a few. Governor
Carey pledges to relocate patients in community-based settings. Willowbrook
remains open until 1978, but forever changes ideas about community-based care
for people with developmental disabilities.
Deaf Actress Signs On with Sesame Street
Deaf actress Linda Bove, graduate of Gallaudet College and veteran of the National
Theater for the Deaf, signs a long-term contract to play Linda the librarian on public
television’ s Sesame Street. James Earl Jones, a well known actor who has a speechrelated
disability, also gets his start on Sesame Street.
1975
1977
1976
Disability Demonstrators Occupy Federal Office
Demonstrators led by Judy Heumann take over the
Health Education and Welfare (HEW) office in UN Plaza,
San Francisco, California, in protest of HEW Secretary
Califano’s refusal to complete regulations for Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which made it
illegal for federal agencies, public universities, and
other public institutions receiving any federal funds
to discriminate on the basis of disability. After 25 days,
Califano relents and signs the regulations into effect,
making this take-over event the longest occupation of
a federal office by protestors in U.S. history.
Photo of Joseph A. Califano,
Jr., who served as HEW
secretary, 1977 to 1979.
Wikipedia
17
Disability Activists Protest Inaccessibility
of Denver Buses
In Denver, Colorado, nineteen members of the Atlantis
Community block buses with their wheelchairs—
chanting
“We will ride!”—to demonstrate against the inaccessibility
of public transportation.
Organization for Hispanic Children with Disabilities
Fiesta Educativa (Education Fest) is formed to address the
lack of Spanish-speaking support services to families with
disabled children in southern California.
National Council on Disability Established
The National Council on Disability is established as an
advisory board within the Department of Education.
Its purpose is to promote policies, programs, practices,
and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for
all people with disabilities, regardless of the nature or
severity of the disability, and to empower them to achieve
economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and
inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.
1978
1980
1980
Library of Congress
National Council on
Disabilities logo
Institutions Can’t Hold People Against Their Will
The Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA)
gives the Department of Justice power to sue state or local
institutions that violate the rights of people held against
their will, including those residing for care or treatment of
mental illness.
Diagnostic Criteria for Attention Deficit Disorder
The term Attention Deficit Disorder is included for the first
time in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric
Association (APA).
Wikipedia
WMATA metrobus
(1987), Washington,
DC. Photo by Ben
Schumin, 2005.
18
Down’s Infant Allowed To Die
On April 9, “Baby Doe” is born with Down’s syndrome and an underdeveloped
esophagus. Doctors advise the parents not to opt for surgery and
to allow him to die. On April 15, the child dies in an incubator.
UN Encourages Global Equality and Participation for the Disabled
The United Nations General Assembly adopts “The World Program of Action
Concerning the Disabled” in 1982 to encourage full participation and
equality for people with disabilities around the world.
Reich Founds National Organization on Disability
Alan A. Reich founds the National Organization on Disability (NOD) in 1982.
NOD’s mission is to expand the participation and contribution of Americans
with disabilities in all aspects of life and to close the participation gap by
raising disability awareness through programs and information. As president
of NOD, Reich builds the coalition of disability groups that successfully
fight for the inclusion of a statue of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his
wheelchair at the FDR Memorial. Reich is an international leader in the
disability community until his death in 2005.
ADAPT Campaigns for Transportation Access
Americans with Disabilities for Accessible Public Transportation, now known
as ADAPT, began its national campaign for lifts on buses and access to
public transit for people with disabilities. For seven years ADAPT—under the
leadership of Bob Kafka, Stephanie Thomas, and Mike Auberger—blocked
buses in cities across the U.S. to demonstrate the need for access to public
transit. After the passage of the ADA (and transit measures gained by
ADAPT’s hard work), ADAPT began to focus on attendant and community
based services, becoming American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today.
1983
1986 Air Carriers Can’t Discriminate Against Disabled
The Air Carrier Access Act is implemented, which
prohibits discrimination by domestic and foreign air
carriers against qualified individuals with physical or
mental disabilities. It applies only to air carriers that
provide regularly scheduled services for hire to the
public. Requirements include boarding assistance
and certain accessibility features in newly built
aircraft and new or altered airport facilities.
1982
Wikipedia
WinAir Airlines Boeing 737-236.
Photo by David Mueller in Long
Beach, California, 1999.
19
Gallaudet’s “Deaf President Now” Protest
Students, faculty, and the community at Gallaudet
University in Washington, D.C. organize a weeklong
protest on campus demanding the selection
of a deaf president for the university. The protest
is called “Deaf President Now” and the Dr. I. King
Jordan is named.
Mandated Accessible Housing in New Projects
The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 expands
on the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to require that a
certain number of accessible housing units be
created in all new multi-family housing. The act
covers both public and private homes and not
only those in receipt of federal funding.
Disabled Writer Burns Book In Protest
Paul Longmore, noted disability historian, burns
a copy of his book in front of the federal building
in Los Angeles in protest of work disincentives,
which stopped him from receiving payment as an
author to keep his medical benefits.
Assistive Technology Initiative
Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with
Disabilities Act of 1988 is passed. This piece of
legislation increases access to, availability of, and
funding for assistive technology through state and
national initiatives.
McAfee Chooses Life, Becomes Advocate
Larry McAfee is granted the right, by a Georgia
court, to be given a sedative and be taken off a
ventilator in order to end his life. He changes his
mind and becomes a disability-rights advocate.
1988
1989
Gallaudet University
Dr. I. King Jordan speaks to the
press. Photo courtesy of the
Gallaudet University Archives.
Library of Congress
Braille portable digital assistant
(PDA) device
20
Americans with Disabilities Act Becomes Law
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is
signed into law by President George H. W. Bush
(R) alongside its “founding father,” Justin Dart.
The ADA is considered the most important civil
rights law since Title 504 and has cross-disability
support, bringing disability-specific organizations,
advocates, and supporters all together for the
same cause. Sitting alongside Dart and the
President were Senators Harkin and Weiker and
Congressmen Owens, Coehlo, and Hoyer.
Terry Schiavo Suffers Severe Brain Damage
Terry Schiavo is severely brain damaged after
her heart stops because of a chemical imbalance
that is believed to have been brought on by an
eating disorder. Court-appointed doctors rule
she is in a “persistent vegetative state” with no
real consciousness or chance of recovery. Over a
decade later, her case will spark much controversy
and receive national media attention.
1992
1995
1990
1990
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Detail from photo showing
Justin Dart at the signing of the
Americans with Disabilities Act
by President Bush, 1990.
American Association of People with Disabilities
Paul Hearne, a longtime leader in the disability
community, achieves his dream of creating a
national association to give people with disabilities
more consumer power and a stronger public voice,
with the creation of the American Association of
People with Disabilities.
California Hosts First Youth Leadership Forum
The first Youth Leadership Forum for youth with
disabilities is developed in California by the Governor’s
Committee for Employment of Disabled
Persons. The U.S. Department of Labor funds other
states to develop similar forums. By 2007, youth
leadership forums are taking place in 23 states. California Youth Leadership Forum
21
1996
1999
Computer model of AIDS virus
(HIV) by Richard Feldmann.
Wikipedia
Christopher Reeve (1952–2004)
discusses the potential benefits
of stem cell research at a neuroscience
conference at MIT,
March 2, 2003.
Christopher Reeve Paralyzed in 1995
Christopher Reeve’s horse fails to complete a rail
jump at an annual riding competition in Virginia.
Reeve is thrown and sustains a severe C1–C2 vertebrae
fracture that paralyzes him from the neck
down. Best known for his Superman role, after the
injury Reeve begins his own battle, searching for a
cure to spinal cord injury. Though he dies in 2004
without seeing a cure, he receives both admiration
and criticism for his attempts at finding one, leaving
a legacy of ongoing research around spinal
cord injuries.
Accessible Computer and Telecomm Equipment
The Telecommunications Act passes and requires
that computers, telephones, closed captioning,
and many other telecommunication devices and
equipment be made accessible.
Dentist Must Treat HIV-Positive Patient
The Supreme Court, in Bragdon v. Abbott, extends
ADA benefits to a woman with HIV who sued
a dentist who refused to fill a cavity for fear of
getting the disease himself. Persons with HIV/AIDS
are considered disabled under the ADA.
Disabled Golfer Has Right To Use Cart in PGA
A federal judge rules that golfer Casey Martin—
the first pro athlete to utilize the ADA to play a
competitive sport—does have the right to use a
golf cart in the PGA Tour tournaments due to a
rare circulatory disorder that severely limits his
ability to walk an entire course.
Ergonomic split keyboard
Soccer League Ordered To Allow Disabled Player
In November, a U.S. District Court judge issues an emergency court order
telling the Lawton, Oklahoma, Evening Optimist Soccer League to allow Ryan
Taylor, a nine-year-old with cerebral palsy, to play in the league. His walker,
referred to as a safety hazard by the defendants, is padded during games.
1998
Department of Justice NIAID, NIH Library of Congress
Casey Martin, 2000.
22
2000
2004
2000
Benefits Protected for Some Who Return To Work
The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvements
Act of 1999 (TWWIIA) expands the availability of
Medicare and Medicaid so that certain disabled
beneficiaries who return to work will not lose their
medical benefits—the same issue Paul Longmore
protests against back in 1988.
Unnecessary Institutionalization Discriminatory
In Olmstead v. L.C. the U.S. Supreme Court rules that
unnecessary institutionalization of people with
disabilities constitutes discrimination and violates
the ADA, that individuals have a right to receive
benefits in the “most integrated setting appropriate
to their needs,” and that failure to find communitybased
placements for qualifying people with
disabilities is illegal discrimination.
Genome Project Maps Human DNA Sequence
The Human Genome Project nears completion.
President Clinton and leading scientists announce
the completion of a “rough draft” of the DNA
sequence (linked strands of protein, the “building
blocks” of life) for human life. While some advocates
are encouraged with the hope of finding cures
and medical breakthroughs, others fear an end of
“disability” altogether.
First Disability Pride Parade in Chicago
A coalition of disability rights advocates and
organizations holds the first Disability Pride Parade.
Organizers expect 500–600 people to attend the
event, which is designed to “change the way people
think about and define disability, to break down
and end the internalized shame among people with
disabilities, and to promote the belief in society
that disability is a natural and beautiful part of life.”
Almost 2,000 attend.
Wikipedia
A graphical representation of
the normal human karyotype,
part of the DNA sequencing
process undertaken to map of
the human genome.
Library of Congress
Crowd at disability rights
gathering.
Feminist Response in Disability Activism
(F.R.I.D.A.)
23
Tennessee Sued for Inaccessible Courts
In 2004, the United States Supreme Court hears
Tennessee v. Lane, a case in which individuals
sue the state of Tennessee for failing to ensure
that courthouses are accessible to people with
disabilities. One plaintiff is arrested when he
refuses to crawl or be carried up stairs. The state
argues that they can not be sued under Title II
of the ADA. The Supreme Court decides in favor
of people with disabilities, however, ruling that
Tennessee can be sued for damages under Title II
for failing to provide access to the courts.
Funding for Youth Information Centers
The Administration for Developmental Disabilities
begins to fund Youth Information Centers (YICs).
Modeled after Parent Training and Information
Centers, YICs are designed to be run by and for
youth and emerging leaders with disabilities,
promoting a youth-led agenda and providing
services within the disability community.
Cuts in Tennessee Medicaid Leads to Sit-In
Upset by Governor Bredesen’s massive cuts to
the state Medicaid System, TennCare, disability
advocates in Tennessee begin a sit-in at the
Governor’s office that lasts 75 days, replacing the
record set in 1977 by the HEW office takeover.
Schivao’s Husband Has Right To Let Her Die
Terry Schivao’s husband Michael is given the
right to remove her feeding tube. Terry dies at
the age of 41 after living 15 years in a “persistent
vegetative” state. Despite numerous protests
by her parents, she dies from dehydration after
the feeding tube is removed by court order. The
case gains national attention and continues to
direct public focus on living wills and other forms
of life/estate planning. Schiavo left no written
instructions concerning her wishes if she were to
ever become so severely disabled.
2005
Wikipedia
U.S. Supreme Court building
State of Tennessee
Phil Bredesen, Governor, State
of Tennessee
24
2006 Gallaudet Students Protest New President
I. King Jordan resigns from Gallaudet University.
Students protest the hiring of his replacement,
citing issues such as not being raised using
American Sign Language (ASL) and her lack of
familiarity with deaf culture.
History of Disability Rights Enters Curricula
The first bill requiring that students in a K–12
public school system be taught the history of the
disability rights movement is passed, largely due
to the efforts of 20 young people with disabilities
from the state of West Virginia.
50-State Road-To-Freedom Tour
The Road-to-Freedom tour kicked off on November
15th. This 50-state bus tour and photographic
exhibit chronicles the history of the grassroots
“people’s movement” that led to passage of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Library of Congress
Gallaudet University,
Washington, DC
Sources for some events on this timeline include information excerpted from
Project YIELDD (Youth Information, Education and Leadership for Developmental
Disabilities); Access Living, Chicago; and Parallels in Time from the Minnesota
Developmental Disabilities Council.
Images published herein were obtained from the public domain as made available
from public sources; are based on free licence use or fair-use rights for educational
purposes; or are used by permission under rights-free, royalty-free agreements.
Tom Olin
STAFF NAME:
DISABILITY HISTORY TIMELINE:
Discussion Guide for Program Staff
This resource and discussion guide
is designed to help youth with
disabilities and emerging leaders
within the disability community
learn about the rich history of people
with disabilities. Increasing their
knowledge of disability history will
help them inspire and lead others
by telling the diverse stories of the
many who have gone before. Starting
shortly after the United States was
founded, the disabilities timeline
features examples of the remarkable
diversity, creativity, and leadership
that has shaped the disability
community up through today.
National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth
N C L D Youth
Note: Although designed for youth and
emerging leaders with disabilities, the
Disability History Timeline and related
activities can be used to educate a broader
audience. For example, the materials may
be useful for training service providers on
the importance of educating youth with
disabilities about their history or as an
orientation for program staff before working
with youth with disabilities.
Yoshiko Dart
[Page intentionally left blank]
Why Study Disability History?
Research, conducted by the National Collaborative
on Workforce and Disability for Youth in
the field of transition, shows that youth with
disabilities need exposure to disability history,
understanding of disability public policy, and
connections to role models and mentors in the
disability community.
Much of the Disability History Timeline was
compiled, reviewed, refined, and chosen by
youth and emerging leaders with disabilities. To
reflect the diversity of the disability community,
they also researched the many different disability
populations to include as many as possible.
These materials are part of a growing body
of work that intends to help individuals
working with youth with disabilities become
empowered as leaders, and to learn about the
rich history of people with disabilities in the
United States.
These following activity and worksheets were
also developed by youth and emerging leaders
with disabilities.
ACTIVITY: Disability History Timeline
Conduct this activity prior to distributing the
Disability History Timeline to participants. Use
the exercise as a means for introducing the
timeline and subsequent worksheets.
PURPOSE
To give participants a base of knowledge about
the history of people with disabilities in the
United States, which starts shortly after the
nation’s founding up until the present day.
Rather than just handing out the timeline, this
activity is designed to help apply information
in a personal way to promote empowerment of
participants. It works best when it’s interactive.
TIME
45 minutes for preparation
20 minutes for the introductory activity
30-45 minutes for corrections
30-45 minutes for worksheet discussions
Preparation
1. Become familiar with the dates and events
depicted in the Disability History Timeline.
2. Decide whether or not you want youth
to work individually or within groups. If
working individually, use one date per
student. If working in groups, staff can
assign 3 or 4 events per group.
3. Select a number of specific dates to use in
the activity, making sure to include a diverse
group of disabilities across a wide spectrum
of the timeline.
4. Print out the selected dates, with each date
displayed horizontally across a piece of
white 8.5” X 11” paper. Under page setup
select the landscape option. (See below).
5. Make sure that the dates are printed large
enough to be read from the back of the
room. (Use a 200-point font size).
6. Print out the events that correspond with
the selected dates. Make sure to print each
event in a large font size on white paper.
Print using the landscape option as well.
Note: After conducting multiple trainings and
testing out various date/event combinations,
you may want to laminate a master set of the
selected dates and events to cut printing costs
and make the activity easier to repeat.
Disability History Timeline
DISCUSSION GUIDE
1787
Implementation
1. Post the dates on the wall from left to right,
starting with the first date and ending with
the last date.
2. Mix up the event cards and distribute them
among the participants. Give participants
20 minutes to post event cards on the wall
under the dates that best match the events.
Facilitation
Note: This part usually takes the longest.
1. Give a 5 minute warning, then after the
20 minutes are up, walk through the
timeline discussing which events go where.
For example, a group guesses that Deaf
President Now took place in 1782. Ask,
“What about this event made you think it
took place then?” Or say, “Well, it actually
took place in 1988 and let’s talk about why.”
2. When facilitating this portion be sure to:
a. Define concepts and ideas in accessible
language (e.g., sheltered workshops,
eugenics, sterilization).
b. Make the connections between the
events described and the models of
disability in use at the time, as well as
policies that have an impact on people
with disabilities.
For example, discuss how imbecile
changed to mental retardation,
then mental retardation changed to
developmental disability, and now
developmental disability has changed to
intellectual disability.
3. After reviewing the timeline and making the
necessary corrections (i.e., moving an event
from the incorrect date to the correct one),
distribute the Disability History Timeline to
participants.
Suggested introduction: “This is a timeline
of your history. It may not be a history you’re
familiar with, but it is the history of people
with disabilities in the United States starting
in 1782 and continuing on until 2006.”
4. Distribute discussion questions—using
either Worksheets 1, 2, or 3 or all three—for
completion by the participants on their own
or to facilitate discussion among all of the
participants.
DISCUSSION WORKSHEET 1:
Processing the Timeline
DISCUSSION WORKSHEET 2:
Discussion Geometry
This activity has been adapted by the National
Consortium on Leadership and Disability/Youth
from an activity facilitated by the Institute for
Educational Leadership.
DISCUSSION WORKSHEET 3:
Look Into Your Crystal Ball
Implementation
This exercise can be completed independently
using the worksheets or worksheet questions
can be used to facilitate discussion in large or
small groups with youth and emerging leaders.
PROCESSING THE TIMELINE
After you’ve had a chance to read some of the
different events important in the history of
people with disabilities in the Disabilities History
Timeline, take some time to do some processing.
How does this information impact us, our
community, and society?
Some people—both those with and without
disabilities—think that the events depicted on
the Disability History Timeline are only important
for people with the types of disabilities listed. As
a community, however, it’s important to share
each other’s victories and to see them as steps in
Disability History Timeline
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Discussion
Worksheet 1
the progress for people with all different types
of disabilities. As people with disabilities, our
history is important on many levels.
Instructions:
Select three events you found interesting. After
listing the first one, explain/discuss why the event
is important to you as a person with a disability.
For the second event, explain/discuss why the
event is important to the disability community
as a whole. For the third event, explain/discuss
why it’s important that people without disabilities
learn about this event.
EVENT 1:
Why is this event
important to me as a
leader?
EVENT 2:
Why is this event
important to the
disability community?
EVENT 3:
How could the
non-disabled
community benefit
by knowing more
about this event?
NOTES:
DISCUSSION GEOMETRY
Now that you’ve had a chance to glance through
the Disability History Timeline and read about
some of the different events important in the
history of people with disabilities, it’s time to
do some processing. How does the information
Disability History Timeline
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Discussion
Worksheet 2
impact us and how do we react to it? Discussion
Geometry provides a simple way to do this and
helps us organize our ideas and responses to
the Disability History Timeline. Just answer the
questions below.
l CIRCLE
What is one idea or
event that’s going
around and around
in your head after
reading or discussing
the timeline?
n SQUARE
What is one idea or
event that squares
(or is similar) to what
you already knew?
s TRIANGLE
What are three
things that you’re
going to take away
from this activity?
HEXAGON
What idea or event
on the timeline
made you feel
uncomfortable or
awkward, and why?
LOOK INTO YOUR CRYSTAL BALL
You’ve just had a chance to read and learn
about a lot of different people and events in
the Disability History Timeline that have had an
impact on the lives of people with disabilities.
Knowing about your past is important when
thinking about what you want for your future!
Take a moment to think about the future.
Disability History Timeline
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Discussion
Worksheet 3
In the space below, write or draw what you
want to happen in the future that will improve
the lives of people with disabilities. Remember,
these are your predictions and goals! Make
them about issues important to you.
Example: In five years anyone with a disability
will live at home with their families instead of in
nursing homes!
In five years:
In ten years:
In twenty years:
In fifty years:
In one hundred years:
What are three things
you’re going to do to
help achieve one of
your goals by the time
you predicted?
For more information on this, or other products developed by the National Consortium on Leadership
and Disability/Youth, please contact Rebecca Cokley at
[email protected].
© 2007 by the Institute for Educational Leadership, Inc. This whole document or sections may be
reproduced along with the attribution to IEL.
ISBN 1-933493-20-8
N C L D Youth
This publication was printed
with the generous support of
the HSC Foundation as part of its
Transition Initiative.
The National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth (NCLD-Youth)
c/o Institute for Educational Leadership
4455 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 310
Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: 202-822-8405
www.ncld-youth.info
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Advocacy Discrimination
What is disability discrimination?
Disability discrimination is when a person with a disability is treated less favorably than a person without the disability in the same or similar circumstances.
For example, it would be ‘direct disability discrimination’ if a nightclub or restaurant refused a person entry because they are
blind and have a guide dog.
It is also disability discrimination when there is a rule or policy that is the same for everyone but has an unfair effect on people with a particular disability.
This is called ‘indirect discrimination’.
For example, it may be indirect disability discrimination if the only way to enter a public building is by a set of stairs because people with disabilities who use wheelchairs would be unable to enter the building.
What is harassment?
Harassment occurs when someone makes you feel intimidated, insulted, humiliated or places you in a hostile environment.
Harassment because of a disability, such as insults or humiliating jokes, is against the law if it happens in a place of employment or education, or from people providing goods and services.
Kimberley was employed as a part-time receptionist in a busy medical practice.
For example, The employer became aware that Kimberley had previously claimed workers compensation for occupational overuse syndrome and she was dismissed from the medical centre a few weeks later.
She claimed that she was told that the reason for her dismissal was her previous compensation claim.
The complaint was resolved with the employer providing Kimberley with financial compensation.
For example, A small business operator, who is blind, complained that he could not use a government website because it didn’t provide an accessible version of the content.
The man needed to use the website regularly for his work.
As a result, the government department agreed to upgrade its website in line with web content accessibility guidelines.
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