Transcript Disability 101 - National Service Inclusion Project

“A Natural Part of the Human Experience”
Kelly Buckland, Executive Director, National Council on
Independent Living
Karen Flippo, Program Director, Institute for Community
Inclusion, Umass Boston
A movement
People
Society
Leaders
Laws
Power
People
 Ed Roberts, Founder of the Independent Living
Movement
 http://www.youtube.com/user/itsourstoryproject
People-Ed Roberts
 The California Department of Rehabilitation refused
Roberts’ request for financial aid to attend college on
the basis that he was “too disabled” to work. The
University of California accepted him as a student, but
later rescinded their decision with the comment by
one Dean, “We've tried cripples before and it didn't
work.”
People-Ed Roberts
 After going public with his story, both the University
and the Department of Rehabilitation reconsidered
their positions and Ed eventually went on to become
the head of the Department of Rehabilitation, the very
same agency that had dismissed him as unemployable
fifteen years earlier.
 Text from the National Council on Independent Living
website: www.ncil.org
Judy Heumann
People-Judy Heumann
When I actually applied for my teaching
credentials you had to take three
exams, a written exam, an oral exam
and a medical exam. All three of those
exams were given in completely
inaccessible buildings. So I had to be
carried up 1 to 2 flights of stairs
depending on where I had to go.
Judy Heumann
I passed the oral exam and I passed
the written exam but I failed the
medical exam and the board wrote
down that I failed because I
couldn't walk and so we sued and
when I sued the Board of Ed that
was the beginning of many things.
Judy Heumann
 …In essence what they were saying was I was
a fire hazard. I couldn't walk. So suing the
Board of Ed and getting that credential and
actually teaching really helped me realize
that …when you begin to push, push, push, in
many cases you can beat the system."
Justin Dart-Father of the ADA
Justin Dart-Father of the ADA
 I propose that we of the disability
community lead the revolution of
empowerment...[this] is not empty rhetoric.
There is a distinct and vital difference
between society/government that empowers
people, and a society/government that
provides for them and regulates them for
their own good
Justin Dart
 ...empowerment is when government joins
with business, labor, religion, and individual
citizens to guarantee every person the tool
to govern, to produce and [to] live the best
life possible for self and for all...we [PWDs]
have unique knowledge and experience to
offer. We have the responsibility to lead.
Carol Gill
 “We have learned
something important
about life from being Disabled that makes
us unique yet affirms our common
humanity. We refuse any longer to hide our
differences. Rather, we will explore, develop
and celebrate our distinctness and offer its
lessons to the world."
Values
 Equality
 Inclusion
 Integration
 Consumer control
 No medical model
 Person not a label
 Power
50 million people
 Over 50 million Americans, or 1 in 5
people, are living with at least one
disability.
 Most Americans will experience a
disability some time during the course
of their lives.
People
 Independent Living Movement began
in California through the efforts of
Edward Roberts and others in the
1960s.
 People with disabilities are the best
experts on their needs and are the
decision makers regarding actions and
solutions affecting their lives.
Laws
 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: first
large scale demonstration by disability activists in
1977;
 Protects qualified individuals from
discrimination based on their disability.
 Applies to employers and organizations that
receive financial assistance from any Federal
department or agency.
Section 504 of the Rehab Act
 Forbids organizations and
employers from excluding or
denying individuals with
disabilities an equal opportunity to
receive program benefits and
services.
Additional legislation-1980s
 Special Education (PL 94-142)
 Developmental Disabilities Act
 Voter Access
 Air Carrier Access
 Fair Housing Act amended to include
disability
Laws-ADA
 Americans with Disabilities Act 1990:
civil rights law for people with
disabilities.
 Provided comprehensive civil rights
protection for people with disabilities.
 Closely modeled after the Civil Rights
Act, most sweeping disability rights
legislation in American history.
Laws
 Over the last 20 years, ADA has
expanded opportunities for individuals
in the community by reducing barriers,
changing perceptions, and increasing
participation in community life.
ADA
 ADA guarantees equal opportunity for
individuals with disabilities in:
 Employment
 Public accommodations
 Transportation
 State and local government services
 Telecommunications
Laws-Olmstead Act
 In Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581, 119 S.Ct.
2176 (1999) ("the Olmstead decision"), the
Supreme Court construed Title II of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to
require states to place qualified individuals
with intellectual disabilities in community
settings, rather than in institutions.
Laws-Olmstead Act
 The Department of Justice regulations
implementing Title II of the ADA require public
entities to administer their services, programs, and
activities in the most integrated setting
appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals
with disabilities.
Corporation for National and
Community Service
 In 1993, the Corporation for National and
Community Service was established.
 Created to connect Americans of all ages
and backgrounds with opportunities to give
back to their communities and their nation.
Disability History Links
 http://disabilityhistoryweek.org/legislations
 Disability History Museum
 http://disabilitymuseum.org/dhm/index.html
 http://museumofdisability.org/
What Took So Long?
 Ed Roberts
http://www.mnddc.org/ed-roberts/index.html
California’s Ed Roberts Day
associated with his induction
Into the California Hall of Fame