(Re)defining disability culture: Perspectives from the Americans with Disabilities Act generation

The present study examined the views of students with varying physical disabilities on disability culture in a post-Americans with Disability Act society. Qualitative, participatory research methods were used to observe approximately 30 disabled students and conduct in-depth interviews with four disabled students. The main objective was initially to answer the following question: Do disabled students recognize an identifiable disability culture at that particular university, and if so, what does it look like? While the sheer presence of disabled students does not automatically equate to a robust disability culture, it became apparent that there was a disability culture at this site, and therefore the research question was refined to: What are the features of disability culture according to this population? The participants were all students at an institute of higher education in the Midwestern United States. The researcher self-identifies as having a disability. Using in vivo coding for analysis to preserve the voices of the participants themselves, the results indicated that there was a disability culture and the key values defining this culture included independence, social justice, and giving back to others.

Disabled Laborers And The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOCs) Nightmare

In 2012, EEOC v. Henry’s Turkey Service was one of the largest disability settlements in American history. Henry’s Turkey Service was ordered to pay $240 million for paying mentally disabled workers with I.Q.s estimated in the 60-70 range, 41 cents per hour and housing them in unsafe housing and health conditions (Hsieh, 2013). Over forty years, Henry’s Turkey Service relocated hundreds of mentally disabled workers from Texas to Iowa where they were subjected to horrendous living conditions with unlawful, minimal pay—about $65.00 per month, while they worked at a local turkey processing factory in West Liberty, Iowa. The actual case shows a pattern of violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and Americans with Disability Act, 1990. After a raid of the bright blue, florescent colored, century old school house in Atalissa, Iowa, these employers were brought to justice. This case study is about one of the largest EEOC settlements in the history of the United States; yet due to federal damage caps was cut to $1.6 million for all of the men and their estates. The graphic account of the inhumane treatment and degradation of the labors presented in this study is not provided for gratuitous or salacious purposes; rather, it places into context what can occur when governmental regulations and laws go unheeded, unenforced and when authorities are apprised of wrongdoing possibilities stand idly by and in this case, do nothing for 35 years.

Intellectual Disability and the Dilemma of Doubt

The decades since the passage of the 1990 Americans with Disability Act, have seen the continuing depopulation of the institutions. Today many have closed, and those that remain have reduced their populations. The community is now the principal focus of services. Yet, intellectual disabled adults continue to have trouble finding gainful employment. The chapter reviews this recent history by considering changing definitions of intellectual disability. It then considers “sins of the past” made recently public: medical experimentation on intellectually disabled people at the Fernald State School and the eugenic sterilization program in North Carolina. Finally, the chapter reviews changing assumptions and attitudes about Down syndrome, and their bearing on “life not worth living” and the new eugenics.

Twenty-Five Years of the Americans With Disabilities Act

The 25th anniversary of the Americans With Disability Act invites reflection on the significance of this legislation for people with disabilities. Nurses need to consider the impact of this legislation on the health of people with disabilities, the role nurses play in the lives of those with disabilities, and implications for how the law impacts the practice of nursing.

A decision support system for developing the managerial policy of urban paratransit services: A case study of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority

In the wake of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) of 1990, paratransit services were offered to improve mobility, employment opportunities, and access to community services for individuals who are mentally or physically handicapped. Due to the complexity involved in ADA rules and transportation regulations as well as the customized, on-demand service requirements, paratransit services are far more costly to render than fixed-route based mass transit services. In times of ongoing budget crisis among public entities, many public transit authorities cope with a dilemma of meeting the growing demand and complex service requirements, while controlling rising paratransit costs. Considering this dilemma, this paper proposes a decision support system (DSS) that can aid the mass transit authority in evaluating paratransit service performance, while continually improving performance over time. To validate the usefulness of the proposed DSS, it has been applied to the actual case of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA).

The Online Exhibit Room

National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) reviews offers a serious challenge for many educational institutions. The educational program must provide, through the Internet, documentation for the six NCATE standards. What should be included, when should the process begin, and how is it accomplished? This chapter will provide detailed development of Americans with Disability Act compliant Web (Section 508) sites, detail technical construction of Web sites for an online exhibit room, and examine features such as Adobe Flash animation and appropriate online databases.This chapter gives special attention to the construction of sites that welcome prospective students, highlight the cultural diversity of its campus/institution, and provide relevant information quickly to any site visitors. This chapter represents the best ideals and practices of NCATE-accredited Web sites, and will effectively instruct teacher education candidates and instructors in appropriate electronic methods.