“A Natural Part of the Human Experience”
Kelly Buckland, Executive Director, National Council onIndependent Living
Karen Flippo, Program Director, Institute for CommunityInclusion, Umass Boston
A movement
People
Society
Leaders
Laws
Power
People
Ed Roberts, Founder of the Independent LivingMovement
http://www.youtube.com/user/itsourstoryproject
People-Ed Roberts
The California Department of Rehabilitation refusedRoberts’ request for financial aid to attend college onthe basis that he was “too disabled” to work. TheUniversity of California accepted him as a student, butlater rescinded their decision with the comment byone Dean, “We've tried cripples before and it didn'twork.”
People-Ed Roberts
After going public with his story, both the Universityand the Department of Rehabilitation reconsideredtheir positions and Ed eventually went on to becomethe head of the Department of Rehabilitation, the verysame agency that had dismissed him as unemployablefifteen years earlier.
Text from the National Council on Independent Livingwebsite: www.ncil.org
Judy Heumann
People-Judy Heumann
When I actually applied for my teachingcredentials you had to take threeexams, a written exam, an oral examand a medical exam. All three of thoseexams were given in completelyinaccessible buildings. So I had to becarried up 1 to 2 flights of stairsdepending on where I had to go.
Judy Heumann
I passed the oral exam and I passedthe written exam but I failed themedical exam and the board wrotedown that I failed because Icouldn't walk and so we sued andwhen I sued the Board of Ed thatwas the beginning of many things.
Judy Heumann
…In essence what they were saying was I wasa fire hazard. I couldn't walk. So suing theBoard of Ed and getting that credential andactually teaching really helped me realizethat …when you begin to push, push, push, inmany cases you can beat the system."
Justin Dart-Father of the ADA
Justin Dart-Father of the ADA
I propose that we of the disabilitycommunity lead the revolution ofempowerment...[this] is not empty rhetoric.There is a distinct and vital differencebetween society/government that empowerspeople, and a society/government thatprovides for them and regulates them fortheir own good
Justin Dart
...empowerment is when government joinswith business, labor, religion, and individualcitizens to guarantee every person the toolto govern, to produce and [to] live the bestlife possible for self and for all...we [PWDs]have unique knowledge and experience tooffer. We have the responsibility to lead.
Carol Gill
“We have learned something importantabout life from being Disabled that makesus unique yet affirms our commonhumanity. We refuse any longer to hide ourdifferences. Rather, we will explore, developand celebrate our distinctness and offer itslessons to the world."
Values
Equality
Inclusion
Integration
Consumer control
No medical model
Person not a label
Power
50 million people
Over 50 million Americans, or 1 in 5people, are living with at least onedisability.
Most Americans will experience adisability some time during the courseof their lives.
People
Independent Living Movement beganin California through the efforts ofEdward Roberts and others in the1960s.
People with disabilities are the bestexperts on their needs and are thedecision makers regarding actions andsolutions affecting their lives.
Laws
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: firstlarge scale demonstration by disability activists in1977;
Protects qualified individuals fromdiscrimination based on their disability.
Applies to employers and organizations thatreceive financial assistance from any Federaldepartment or agency.
Section 504 of the Rehab Act
Forbids organizations andemployers from excluding ordenying individuals withdisabilities an equal opportunity toreceive program benefits andservices.
Additional legislation-1980s
Special Education (PL 94-142)
Developmental Disabilities Act
Voter Access
Air Carrier Access
Fair Housing Act amended to includedisability
Laws-ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act 1990:civil rights law for people withdisabilities.
Provided comprehensive civil rightsprotection for people with disabilities.
Closely modeled after the Civil RightsAct, most sweeping disability rightslegislation in American history.
Laws
Over the last 20 years, ADA hasexpanded opportunities for individualsin the community by reducing barriers,changing perceptions, and increasingparticipation in community life.
ADA
ADA guarantees equal opportunity forindividuals with disabilities in:
Employment
Public accommodations
Transportation
State and local government services
Telecommunications
Laws-Olmstead Act
In Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581, 119 S.Ct.2176 (1999) ("the Olmstead decision"), theSupreme Court construed Title II of theAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA) torequire states to place qualified individualswith intellectual disabilities in communitysettings, rather than in institutions.
Laws-Olmstead Act
The Department of Justice regulationsimplementing Title II of the ADA require publicentities to administer their services, programs, andactivities in the most integrated settingappropriate to the needs of qualified individualswith disabilities.
Corporation for National andCommunity Service
In 1993, the Corporation for National andCommunity Service was established.
Created to connect Americans of all agesand backgrounds with opportunities to giveback to their communities and their nation.
Disability History Links
Disability History Museum
http://museumofdisability.org/
What Took So Long?
Ed Roberts
California’s Ed Roberts Day
associated with his induction
Into the California Hall of Fame