Changing Perspectives and Opening Doors: The Impact of the ADA on the lives of individuals with
disabilitiesADA Resource Center for Equity and Accessibility
Who we are!Mike Rounds, Associate Vice Provost for
Human Resource Management.
Catherine Johnson, Director of the ADA Resource Center for Equity and Accessibility [email protected]; (785) 864-3650
Jennifer Marcinkowski, Accommodation Specialist for the Office of Accessibility & ADA Education
2
Take Away: Goals for Today
Significance of ADA
Perspective of disability as diversity
Actions steps toward creating a climate of inclusivity
Add Footer information here 3
OPENING QUESTIONS
What does the term “disability” mean to you?
Why?
How did we get here?
https://youtu.be/TPREEGleFAQ
Add Footer information here 5
Before ADA
1967 - 200,000 individuals with disabilities lived in state institutions
State laws prohibited voting, contracts, including marriage, compulsory sterilization, over 3000 Kansans, 1913-1961
“Ugly Laws” – prohibited individuals with disabilities from “showing themselves in public”
Prior to 1970 – no legal requirement that public schools serve children with disabilities
Add Footer information here 6
ADA
July 26, 1990 signed by President Bush
Comprehensive Civil Rights Law
Goals: Equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, economic self-sufficiency
Employment, Public Services, Public Accommodations, Telecommunications
Congressional Findings: physical or mental disabilities in no way diminish a person's right to fully participate in all aspects of society, yet many people with physical or mental disabilities have been precluded from doing so because of discrimination; others who have a record of a disability or are regarded as having a disability also have been subjected to discrimination;
ADA Did…….
Change society – provided rights for individuals with disabilities
ADA created anti-discrimination federal law
Right to equal opportunity, equal benefit
Full inclusion - from “bother” to a right
Created class, united in discrimination and empowered by law
Add Footer information here 8
Disability is Diversity“Disability is a diversity classification that transcends all ethnic, racial, age, gender, education, and socioeconomic
lines. It represents the only minority group that anyone can join at any time.”
-Employer Assistance and Resource Network
Laws change behaviors: Difficult to address unconscious implicit biases and/or beliefs such as . . . . . . . .
Disability….
Is a lesser status, bad or unfortunate condition that people should hide
Punishment for immorality or a curse
An opportunity for others to pity, give charity, obtain self-worth
A condition to be fixed by doctors or to be avoided
Great admiration for individuals with disabilities
Add Footer information here 10
Microaggressions
Outward manifestations of unconsciously held stereotypes, biased thinking on the part of often well-meaning people or groups
Creates and reinforces significant barriers to equality
Add Footer information here 11
MICROAGGRESSIONS
“Everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership”
Microassaults – explicit attacks resembling transitional discrimination (i.s. name calling, avoidance) Microinsults – insensitive and demeaning remarks Microinvalidations – negating an individual’s personal experience of their
reality.
Derald Wing Sue, Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender and Sexual Orientation, 2010.
Add Footer information here 12
Understanding ten themes: Table I Denial of personal identity
Denial of disability experience
Denial of privacy
Helplessness
Secondary gain
Spread effect
Infantilization
Patronization
Second –class citizen
Desexualization
Add Footer information here 13
Add Footer information here 14
Theme * Example Message
**Denial of personal identity Occurs when any aspect of a person's identity other than disability is ignored or denied.
I can't believe you are married . There is no part of your life that is normal or like mine. The only thing when I see you is your disability.
Denial of Disability Come on now, we all have Your thoughts and feelings
Experience some disability are probably not real and
Occurs when disability certainly not important to
related experiences are me.
minimized or denied.
*** Denial Of Privacy Someone asking what You are not allowed to
Occurs when personal happened to you. maintain disability
information is required information privately.
about a disability
Add Footer information here 15
** Helplessness Someone helps you on to a you can't do anything by
Occurs whenpeople bus or train even when you yourself because you have a
frantically try to help need no help. disability.
PWD's.
Someone feels incapable of Disability is acatastrophe.
rescuing you from your I would rather be dead than
disability. to be you.
Secondary Gain We're going to raise enough I feel good and get
Occurs when aperson money tonight to get recognition for being nice
expects to feel good or be Johnny that new to you.
Add Footer information here 16
Spread Effect Those deaf people are Your disability invalidates
Occurs when other retarded. you in all areas of life.
expectations about a person
are assumed due to one Your other senses must be You must be special in
specific disability. better than mine. some way.
Your not normal.
You have "spidey sense".
*** InfantillizationOccurs when a PWD is treated like a child.
Let me do that for you. You are not really capable. I knowbetter than you how to do this.
Add Footer information here 17
PatronizationOccurs when a PWD is praised for almost anything.
You people are so inspiring. You are so special for living with that.
Second Class Citizen Occurs when a PWD's right to equality is denied because they are consideredto be bothersome, expensive and a waste of time, effort and resources. **
People work hard not to make eye contact or to physically avoid a PWD.
a person in a wheelchair waits 15 minutes outside a restaurant for access through the kitchen. She then complains to the manager.
at a staff meeting the question is raised about improving accessibility to the restaurant and the official plan is that changes will be made when more PWD's come to eat.
PWD's are disgusting and should be avoided.
Those people expect too much and are so difficult to work with. They have no patience.
Your rights to equality are not important to me.
Add Footer information here 18
DesexualizationOccurs when the sexuality and sexual being is denied.
I would never date someone who uses a wheelchair.
PWD's are not my equal, not attractive and not worthy of being with me.
Examples of Microaggressions
Regarded as less capable/intelligence, inferiority (i.e. giving a person with a disability a lesser task)
Treating an adult person with a disability as a child (i.e. using a soft, cutesy tone, or a loud voice when speaking with an adult person)
Talking to an individual’s attendant/interpreter instead of the individual
Referring to a person as “high or low functioning”
Assumption that an individual diagnosed with mental health disability has a lower intelligence or less competent, or lacks control
Add Footer information here 19
Impact of microaggressions
Lower self-esteem, feelings of self-worth
Low outcomes in employment, income, college participation
Individuals with/without disabilities act more favorably toward individuals with physical disabilities, sensory disabilities than either traumatic brain injuries, or mental illness.
Others?
Add Footer information here 20
Microaggressions? A student with Autism reports that he is never asked to work on group
projects and that his roommate is never around.
A woman using crutches is carrying something to her car. A passer-by asks to help her. She says, “no thank you.” He says, “Are you sure? I haven’t done my good deed for the day
Someone remarks to a man with a vision impairment that his outfits always match so nicely!
A person with depression finds it frustrating when people tell her it’s “mind over matter.”
A wheelchair basketball team is practicing in a public gym. Folks gather to watch and one says, “You guys are such inspirations. I don’t know how you do it.” •
Add Footer information here 21
KU’s Commitment to Inclusion
KU’s charge is to endorse a campus climate that will sustain attention to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the spirit in which it was designed and to provide a campus community of inclusiveness.
• Ways you can be a leader in creating a campus climate of inclusiveness.
• The words you use matter in creating a culture. • Your Words, Our Image poster
Using “Person First” Language
Poster adapted with permission from the University of Kansas Research & Training Center on Independent Living.
Creating culture of inclusivity Replace the outdated term, “handicapped,” a word laden with pity,
with the term, “accessible.”
24
Foundation for inclusivity: Promote the concept of disability as diversity
Recognize disability as contributing value to society
Be aware of personal biases
Respect the experiences of Individuals with disabilities
Education yourself and others on microaggressions; be open to discussions
Make concrete efforts to avoid microaggressive comments & behaviors
Create opportunities to educate others about diversity
Create professional practices/models that are consistent with inclusive climate and stop practices that are not
Add Footer information here 25
Action steps : Education & Advocacy Treat individuals with respect, dignity, and courtesy
Use People-First Language
Don’t Make assumptions
Ask before helping
Talk directly to the individual, not the interpreter, friend, attendant
Be polite in greeting, shake hands
Listen carefully, wait to reply until individual has finished speaking.
Be sensitive about physical contact and space
Respect an individual’s privacy
Don’t make a decision on behalf of a person with a disability regarding what they can/cannot do
Place yourself at eye level when speaking with an individual that uses a chair.
http://unitedspinal.org/pdf/DisabilityEtiquette.pdf
Add Footer information here 26
THANK YOU! QUESTIONS
Call the ADA Resource Center for Equity and Accessibility at (785) 864-4946 or email [email protected]
Room: 103 Carruth O’Leary
Add Footer information here 27