Disability Discrimination Timeline

Ending the discrimination
Disability discrimination cases have been evident since the early times. From the disability discrimination timeline it can be seen that as early as 1800’s schools for disabled children have been built. In fact, the American School for the Deaf founded in Hartford, Connecticut in 1817 was the first step in upholding the rights of disabled individuals. It can be seen from the disability discrimination timeline that the history of individuals with disabilities has often been no different to the history of treatment of any suppressed minority at any time and place in history. However, the treatment was harsher to people with disabilities especially to children because they have always been the most vulnerable members of the society.

Additionally, the disability discrimination timeline shows that people with disabilities have always occupy an inferior status in the society and are severely disadvantaged vocationally, educationally, socially and economically. For this reason and many more, the American with disabilities Act was formulated in 1990 and took effect in 1992. This Act prohibits any private employers, local and state governments, labor unions and employment agencies from discriminating against qualifies applicants with disabilities in job application, hiring, compensation, and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a qualified individual or applicant with disability is an individual who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the job in question.

Throughout history the account of the treatment of people with disabilities reflects changes in attitude or changes in view about what it means to be a person and what is right or wrong in relation to the treatment of persons. The ways that society has responded to people with disabilities reflects changes in the concepts of humanity and the value that is placed on those concepts. Hence, the ongoing existence of unfair and unnecessary discrimination and prejudice denies individuals with disabilities the opportunity to compete on an equal basis and to pursue those opportunities for which the free society is reasonably famous.

Charting the history that paved the way to the existence and observance to this act, the law is not only designed to end discrimination against disabled people. But more so, it meets the needs of small to medium sized businesses since it is flexible enough to take account of your business’s individual circumstances. It is always smart to keep updates with the changes with newly imposed Disability Discrimination Act and become aware on how they can affect you.