Disability and Policy

Types of Disability Physical Developmental Sensory Cognitive Psychiatric Learning Environmental (e.g. allergies) Fat (emerging population looking for recognition by ADA)

Statistics 54 million Americans have disabilities i.e., 1/5 of US citizens 21.3% of women & 19.8% of men Native American & African American women have the highest rate of disability 1/3 of WWD (women with disabilities) are parenting children under teen years w/ some being grandmothers

Statistics Continued PWD (persons with disabilities) are the largest and poorest minority in the U.S. ¾ caregivers of those with disabilities are women Disabilities cost $400 - $700 monthly 70 – 80% are institutionalized

Models of Disability as Compared to Gay/Lesbians Disability as sinful i.e., a Moral Perspective Medical i.e. cure v. care Minorities as socially constructed

Issues for Persons with Disabilities “Coming out” i.e., Do you let the workplace or others know about your disability? Nature of disability… outwardly noticeable… some are more readily accepted than others; Who has it worse? Duration of disability Age of onset of disability Privacy is almost nonexistent

Additional Issues Procreation concerns Marriage Hate crimes Standardized testing Lack of role models Lack of professionals and mental health services and politics High risks for drop out Drug usage 76% of moderate to severely disabled are unemployed Affective regulation e.g., not allowed to be angry

discrimination against people with disabilities in federally funded programs. Gerald Ford's administration drafted regulations, but the Carter administration delayed their implementation.the

History of Civil Rights for PWD By the 1940s and 1950s, parent activists had organized to fight for education and services for children with disabilities. When these children grew up, they demanded to be treated as adults, with all the rights and responsibilities granted to other citizens. Their new disability rights movement has sought to overcome discrimination and, sometimes, their own parents' fears and overly protective attitudes.

Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities in federally funded programs. Gerald Ford's administration drafted regulations, but the Carter administration delayed their implementation.

In 1977, after years of waiting for federal guidelines, activists lost patience with the government's delaying tactics and staged protests around the country. A dramatic twenty-five-day occupation of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare offices in San Francisco galvanized people and created a strong sense of purpose and pride. The protests drew national attention, and on April 28 the government finally released the regulations.

Americans w/ Disabilities Act Signed into law in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (A D A) is one of the most significant civil rights documents of the 20th century. Its purpose is to end discrimination, reduce barriers to employment, and ensure access to education for people with disabilities. The A D A has increased the visibility of people with disabilities. It also has led to the reshaping of the physical environment and improved communications access.

Mobility The disability civil rights movement had to not only overcome prejudice, but also physical barriers that limit access to employment and inclusion in other aspects of daily life. Activists successfully lobbied for laws that required curb-cuts, ramps, and buses with wheelchair lifts. This in turn increased the possibility of economic and social mobility. In the 1970s and 1980s, a growing population of consumers with mobility impairments fueled demand for wheelchairs and scooters to match their active lives. At the same time, barrier-free designs have brought a new aesthetic to public spaces.

Demonstrator Arrest 1992 (San Francisco)

Demonstration Washington D.C. 1985

Disability and Technology Marilyn Hamilton, shown in this picture, invented the wheelchair you see. She wanted to participate in sports, and this chair allowed her to play tennis. It was the fastest, lightest, and easiest-moving chair of its time.