U.S. Disabilities Legislation Affecting Electronic and Information Technology

Sources Of Information ◽

Section 508 ◽

Technology Products ◽

Physical Environments ◽

Standards And Guidelines ◽

And Training ◽

The U.S

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the cornerstone legislation to address the civil rights of people with disabilities, including making products, services, and physical environments accessible to them. Almost everyone in the U.S. is familiar with the ADA, but designers of technology products and services need to be aware of accessibility standards that go beyond the ADA: specifically, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 255 of the Communications Act. These laws define accessibility standards and guidelines that impact the design of electronic, information, and telecommunication technologies, and they are intended to promote products and services that are as accessible to persons with disabilities as those without (Section 508, 1998). Furthermore, with the aging of the U.S. and world populations (Forrester, 2004), the number of people who want to use technology but cannot, because of disabilities, is on the rise. Designers of technology need to understand how modifications in traditional design will make products more marketable and usable by a wider range of customers. This article reviews important aspects of Sections 508 and 255, assistive technology and accessible design, and additional sources of information and training.

Support for the Americans With Disabilities Act Among Nondisabled People

Journal of Disability Policy Studies ◽

10.1177/10442073211023175 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 104420732110231

Author(s):

Carli Friedman ◽

Laura VanPuymbrouck

Keyword(s):

Civil Rights ◽

A Priori ◽

People With Disabilities ◽

Secondary Data ◽

The United States ◽

Limited Participation ◽

Research Questions ◽

The Relationship

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) opened the doors to access and enhanced the civil rights of people with disabilities. However, a lack of accessibility to all segments of society continues throughout the United States and is frequently described by people with disabilities as a leading cause for limited participation. Beliefs and attitudes regarding disability can affect critical decisions regarding inclusion and people with disabilities’ civil rights. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore support and opposition to the ADA among nondisabled people. We had the following research questions: (a) What is the relationship between disability prejudice and support for the ADA? and (b) When controlling for disability prejudice, what other factors lead people to support the ADA? To do so, we examined secondary data from approximately 13,000 participants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Findings from this study revealed that people who oppose the ADA are significantly more prejudiced toward people with disabilities than people who support the ADA. Understanding and becoming aware of attitudes and prejudice toward persons with disabilities can be a first step toward dispelling such beliefs and possibly a priori step to achieving the intent and spirit of the ADA.

Individualism and Equality: Critical Values in North American Culture and the Impact on Disability

Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling ◽

10.1891/0047-2220.22.4.19 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 19-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Carol A. Fowler ◽

John S. Wadsworth

Keyword(s):

Civil Rights ◽

American Culture ◽

Critical Values ◽

Rehabilitation Professionals ◽

Full Participation ◽

Attitudinal Changes ◽

The Impact

Culturally shaped attitudes towards persons with disabilities pose significant barriers to full participation in employment. Even with the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, implementation of the law will occur within the culturally defined stereotypes and assumptions which exist within society. A significant task for rehabilitation professionals will be the inclusion of positive perceptions of persons with disabilities into the conceptual ideology of individualism and equality.. This paper reviews the cultural difficulties of implementing civil rights legislation and addresses the role of rehabilitation professionals in promoting attitudinal changes in society.

Societal Attitudes and the Civil Rights of Persons With Disabilities

Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling ◽

10.1891/0047-2220.30.2.19 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 19-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Corey L. Moore ◽

Sonja Feist-Price

Keyword(s):

Public Policy ◽

Civil Rights ◽

Minority Group ◽

Group Model ◽

Rehabilitation Act Of 1973 ◽

Negative Attitudes ◽

Policy Arena ◽

Made In

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are evidence of the progress, in relation to civil rights, made in the disability public policy arena. Similarly, much progress has been made in changing negative attitudes that sometimes prevail in the organizational workforce. Although much progress has been made for persons with disabilities, there remains much work to be accomplished. An abundance of concerns have recently surfaced regarding whether the previously noted legislation effectively address the rights of persons with disabilities in the organizational workforce. In light of recent concerns, the authors advocate the minority group model as a catalyst for creating public policy that will effectively address the rights of persons with disabilities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to support the hypothesis that the organizational workforce's perception of persons with disabilities as a minority group will change societal attitudes resulting in a more progressive public policy.

Human Rights, Civil Rights: Prescribing Disability Discrimination Prevention in Packaging Essential Health Benefits

The Journal of Law Medicine & Ethics ◽

10.1111/jlme.12089 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 781-791 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Anita Silvers ◽

Leslie Francis

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Civil Rights ◽

Age Groups ◽

Health Care Insurance ◽

Private Health Care ◽

Private And Public ◽

Population Ratio ◽

The U.S ◽

Essential Health Benefits

Health care insurance schemes, whether private or public, are notoriously unaccommodating to individuals with disabilities. While most nonelderly nondisabled persons in the U.S. are insured through private sources, coverage sources for nonelderly persons with disabilities have traditionally been a mix of private and public coverage. For all age groups, the employment-to-population ratio is much lower for persons with a disability than for those with no disability. Moreover, employed persons with a disability were more likely to be self-employed than those with no disability. As a group, therefore, nonelderly people with disabilities have not been as well positioned as others to obtain private health care insurance because in the U.S., acquiring such coverage usually is employer based.