People with Disabilities

People with Disabilities, persons with physical, sensory, or mental impairments that can make performing an everyday task more difficult. Under this broad definition, it was estimated in the early 1990s that 19.4 percent of the United States population was disabled. Some disabilities, such as a broken hip, may be temporary; others are relatively minor, such as vision impairments that can be modified by corrective lenses. Other disabilities classified as severe may not represent a handicap, that is, the inability to take part in community life on an equal level with others. For instance, a person confined to a wheelchair may be able to live independently if physical and social barriers to mobility have been removed. In 1992 an estimated 24 million Americans had a severe disability. In the same year more than 1.7 million veterans of U.S. military conflicts received monthly compensation for some service-connected disability, and 3.2 million disabled workers under age 65 received regular benefits from the Social Security Administration.

LEGAL RIGHTS

Efforts by disabled people to establish legal rights mark a sharp contrast with traditional U.S. public policy. Before the 1970s, most legislation dealing with the problems of people with disabilities, such as Social Security or public-assistance entitlements, provided limited financial support or specific services. The change in the 1970s and 1980s centered on the rights of disabled people to the same protection under the law enjoyed by the rest of the population.

New laws and court decisions embodying civil rights of people with disabilities have affected several areas of life. In education, federal law now guarantees a free appropriate public education to all disabled children, regardless of the severity of their condition. In the area of employment, state laws prohibit discrimination against disabled people. In addition, the federal Rehabilitation Act (1973) requires businesses that handle federal contracts to practice affirmative action in employing disabled people and to make "reasonable accommodations" to their needs. Another advance has been the placement of previously institutionalized people with mental disabilities in community-living facilities or group homes that provide a living environment more similar to those of able-bodied people, as well as access to local community resources.

In advocating for their rights, disabled people have worked to establish several important principles. One is that they be considered on the basis of individual merit, not on stereotyped assumptions about disabilities. Another is that society must make certain changes to enable them to participate more easily in business and social activities; an example is wheelchair access to public transportation, building entrances, and theaters. A third principle is that, to the extent appropriate for each individual, disabled people should be integrated with people who are not disabled.

A major step in achieving these goals was the landmark federal Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), which prohibits discrimination against people with physical or mental disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications. Successful implementation of this law will have a profound and positive impact on the status of people with disabilities.

UNIT 20 DISABILITY
江苏省靖江高级中学
顾亚琴 张纯 制作