Emotional Toll On Disabled Children
How many disabled kids do you know at school? There are many children everywhere that are disabled, whether it be a physical or mental disorder. There are programs, acts, and laws that protect them in classrooms, public places, and workplaces. This has not always been the case. Disabled people were and still are faced with discrimination; however, but before laws were passed they were restricted to where the could go and what they could do. They were called names and some were even subjected to surgery in order to “fix” their disability. Some people today even refer to surgery to keep their children the same size for as long as they live.
The push and shove for recognition of that the fact that disabled children and people are individuals and a self-defining person started back in the mid 1900s. Disableds were oppressed just like other minorities and suffered a severe state of impoverishment. During the 1800s they were considered tragic, abnormal, feeble-minded and pitiful individuals that were unable to contribute to society, they were also forced into embarrassments such as circuses and exhibits to be put on display and laughed at. They faced segregation and purifications that were used to keep disabled individuals invisible and hidden away from a society that was biased towards the normal perfect standards. The segregation continued until the end of World War I veterans expected that the government provide rehabilitation in exchanged for the service to the nation that they provided. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, (FDR), was the first president with a disability, but still worked under the notion that a disability was not only abnormal but a shameful condition that should be fixed or cured medically. Even though he believed the horrifications that discriminated against individuals he still was a great advocated for rehabilitation for disabled people. Towards the end of World War II disabled veterans began to place more pressure of the government to try and get them to provide not only rehabilitation, but also vocational training. Disabled veterans made more of a visible president on disability to the country to thankful citizens. Disabled veterans were thankful to the citizens that were concerned in the long run of the health and welfare of the men that sacrificed their lives to help secure the nation’s safety. Initial advancements were made independence and self-reliance for people with disabilities. After the efforts of independence for them, disabled people were still not allowed access to public transportation, telephones, stores, and bathrooms. Disabled people that sought work were blocked by obstacles such as, office buildings or workplaces that only offered stairs as an entry. Just because they are labeled as disabled people were blocked from meaningful work, that could not only help them, but that could do good for the community of talented disableds that are locked out of the workforce. Equal treatment for all was demanded in the 60’s, when the start of a civil rights movement was beginning to from, as well many advocates saw the opportunity to join forces with other minority classes. The fight for the civil rights movement followed in the same path as other civil rights movement.
The patterns consisted of negative attitudes and stereotypes that were challenges in their own, as well was rallying for not only political and institutional changes to be made, but for changes in self-determination of other minority communities. Advocates and disability rights activists made it more of a local matter demanding the physical and social obstacles that the disabled community face. Parents also joined on the advocate bandwagon, demanding that their children should be taken out of asylums and mental institutions and allowed into normal schools. Parents thought their children should have the opportunity to engage in society and be social with other children that were not disabled, and considered the social norm and normal. During the 70s, activists lobbied congress and marched on Washington to address the language for people with disabilities, that should be included in the civil rights movement. In 1972, a movement was pushed to be passed that by law protected disabled people. In 1972, for the first time in history, the Rehabilitation act was passed. The Act allowed for equal employment opportunity in jobs that were in the federal government or that were federally funded programs. This act prohibited for discrimination that attacked either the physical or mental disability of a person. The act also mandated equal access to public transportation, services, such as housing, and vocational training. In 1975, an Education of All Handicapped Children act was passed. This act guaranteed equal access to public education for all disabled children. The act detailed that all children, disabled or not, has the right to an education, and should be able to attend mainstream classes. The act stated that every children had the right to schools, unless the satisfactory level could not be reached, because of the child's disability.
The act was renamed in 1990 to the Individuals with Disabilities Act, also known as IDEA. The rename further elaborated on the desegregation of disabled children into regular classes. The act also focused that parents have the rights to be included in an Individual Education Plan. An Individual Education Plan is a personal design of their child's education needs. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed. The act ensures equal treatment and access to employment opportunities and public accommodations to people with disabilities. The act was intended to prohibit discrimination towards the basis of disability, such as, employment, states and local government services, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunication services. Under the ADA, businesses were mandated to provide reasonable accommodations, that included restructuring jobs or modifying work equipment, public services could no longer deny services to disabled people, and all public accommodations were expected to have disability modification that made it accessible. The US government demanded the full participation, inclusion, and integration of disabled people in all societal levels. People with disabilities still face prejudice and stereotypical portrayal in movies, in media, in schools, housing, voting stations, and lack of affordable health care. The signing of the ADA placed immediate legislative demands to ensure equal access and treatment, but traditional assumptions are still hard to brake. No one has fully understood the ADA, but the disabilities rights movement is still continuing to make great movements towards empowerment and self-determination of all disabled Americans.
A research study was done by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare that study statistics of disabled children in schools. The study found that 1 in 12, or 317,900 children were labeled as disabled. The study found that 97% of children with a disability attended school and only 3% attended a special needs facility. To say that out of the 97% that attended schools did not face difficulties would be an understatement. A spokeswoman for the institution, Louise York, said that out of the 97% that attended mainstream schools, 63% face some sort of difficulty in the classroom. The most common issue that is faced was fitting in socially, communication, and intellectual, and learning disabilities. For most kids fitting in socially is a considered a basic task, but can be extremely difficult for disabled kids.
This is because they have a different state of mind, and do not think like ¨normal¨ students. Making it easier for disabled children to feel comfortable can be as easy as being supportive and social with the children. This should raise the number of disabled children in mainstream schools. Federal officials for the civil rights found that two Prince William County public schools for students with emotional disabilities were restrained and removed from classrooms that were considered to be ¨one-size-fits-all¨. The U. S. Department of Education's office for Civil Rights (OCR) determined that the kids were not physically harmed by the restraint and seclusion at the schools. The investigation did conclude that the techniques were apart of a movement that denied disabled students an appropriate public education, which is required by law. The records showed that the students were placed in restraint and seclusion for destroying property and disturbing the education environment, and not for putting themselves or others at physical harm. The investigation also found that most of the students did not have individualized plans with specific behavioral help that is based off their needs.
