Disability in America: The Impact of Social Paradigms and Legislation 1 ADA Trainer Network Module 2c Trainer’s Name Trainer’s Title Phone Number Email/Web.

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Disability in America:

The Impact of Social Paradigms and Legislation

ADA Trainer Network

Module 2c

Trainer’s Name

Trainer’s TitlePhone Number

Email/Web Address

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DisclaimerInformation, materials, and/or technical assistance are intended solely as informal guidance, and are neither a determination of your legal rights or responsibilities under the ADA, nor binding on any agency with enforcement responsibility under the ADA. The Mid-Atlantic ADA Center is authorized by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to provide information, materials, and technical assistance to individuals and entities that are covered by the ADA. The contents of this document were developed under a grant from the Department of Education, NIDRR grant number H133 A110020. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

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Activity

Think of a word to describe disability. What is the first word or phrase that comes to your mind?

Feel free to either write it down or just think of it. Remember it; we’ll come back to it later!

People who were not “perfect” in

body were thought to be “flawed” in the eyes of God

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Moral View: Disability means God is Displeased

Medical Model: Disability must be Cured

• Based on Science/Medicine

• Views disability as a genetic defect that must be fixed

• People with disabilities viewed as tragic, helpless, pitiful

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Freak Shows: Identity at a Cost

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The Eugenics Movement

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The Functional Limitations & Rehabilitation Model:

Not freaks, not flaws, but “Our Boys”

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Objects of Charity

Civil Rights/Minority Model

• Deinstitutionalization• Independent Living Movement• Disability Identity groups formed by people

with disabilities

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Social Construction Model• Role of society in addressing barriers to integration• Active and equal participants in the communities in

which you live and work

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Disability Legislation

• 1968: Architectural Barriers Act• 1973: Rehabilitation Act (Section 504)

Prohibited discrimination from programs, jobs, services that receive federal $

Rehabilitation extended beyond “vocational”Disability became a civil rights issue

• While Section 508 only specified that government agencies must provide accessible web design, many businesses and organizations followed suit.

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Disability Legislation• 1975: Education for all

Handicapped Children Act• 2004: IDEA • 1980’s-90’s: Legislation

increases around improving accessibility in housing, voting, communication, travel, etc.

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Americans withDisabilities Act of 1990

• Title I — Employment

• Title II — State and Local Government

• Title III — Places of Public Accommodation

• Title IV — Telecommunications

• Title V — Miscellaneous

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The Impact of the ADA

• Created equal rights in employment, public accommodation, public services and telecommunications

• Promoted equality by instituting reasonable accommodations and modifications

• Created the telephone relay service for people who are deaf and hard of hearing

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ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA)

• Clarifies and expands the definition of disability

• Overturns previous Supreme Court decisions• Provides guidance on how to interpret the

definition of disability

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Activity

Remember the word or phrase you thought of at the beginning of the session.

In what ways have your perceptions of disability been influenced by these social paradigms?

What impact do you think the ADA has had on society’s perception of people with disabilities?

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Mid-Atlantic ADA CenterTransCen, Inc.

401 North Washington Street, Suite 450Rockville, MD 20850

Toll-Free: 800.949.4232 (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV)

Telephone 301-217-0124Fax 301-251-3762TTY 301-217-0124Email [email protected] www.ADAinfo.org

The contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the Department of Education, NIDRR grant number H133 A110020. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.